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DAILY 03-09-10 MD SU A5 BLACK
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010 KLMNO S A5
THE WORLD
NASSER ISHTAYEH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. envoy George J. Mitchell, right, shakes hands with Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Mitchell
also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
DAN BALILTY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Israel said Monday it will allow 112 new housing units in a West Bank settlement.
Biden in Middle East to help revive peace efforts
court the Israeli public, some of borders, security and Palestinian Monday when Israel announced tions who is now at the Woodrow Obama’s presidential campaign,
INDIRECT TALKS
whom felt snubbed in the past refugees, Mitchell’s announce- construction of 112 new housing Wilson International Center for told the Senate Foreign Relations
year by President Obama, who ment felt to some observers more units in the West Bank settlement Scholars. Indirect talks “could le- Committee last week.
ANNOUNCED
has visited Egypt, Turkey and like a setback than a success. of Beitar Ilit. The administration gitimize the U.S. role as a broker Some analysts speculated that
Saudi Arabia but has yet to come “It’s hardly a cause for celebra- had pushed hard — but unsuc- and maybe even make some Biden’s trip was a recognition
to Israel. tion that after 17 years of direct cessfully — last year for a com- headway on borders. Fact is, the that the administration’s hands-
Development seen by
In a major speech in Cairo last official talks we are regressing to plete freeze on settlements, and Obama administration now owns off approach had gone on too
June, Obama raised expectations proximity talks,” said Yossi Alph- Israel’s new announcement came these negotiations, and sooner or long.
some as step backward
in the region that he would make er, co-editor of a Middle East blog as Palestinian Authority Presi- later they will have to get more “The administration finally did
Middle East peacemaking a top and a former director of the Jaf- dent Mahmoud Abbas was meet- deeply involved if they want them understand that one of the mis-
priority by promising to person- fee Center for Strategic Studies at ing with Mitchell. to succeed.” takes in the course of the past
by Janine Zacharia ally pursue Palestinian statehood Tel Aviv University. The Israeli Defense Ministry Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. year was not engaging Israel at a
“with all the patience and dedica- Saeb Erekat, the longtime Pal- released a statement saying the mediator and ambassador to Is- high enough level,” Alpher said.
jerusalem — Vice President tion that the task requires.” estinian negotiator, told Israel’s units were approved before Israel rael and Egypt who served both “If the Obama administration
Biden arrived in Israel on Mon- Instead, Obama is viewed here Army Radio that the indirect agreed to a 10-month moratori- Democrat and Republican presi- wants to have some influence
day to boost U.S. efforts to medi- as having relegated the issue to talks were a last attempt “to save um on most new settlement con- dents, took a more skeptical view. here on the Palestinian issue, it
ate talks between Israelis and Pal- special envoy George J. Mitchell, the peace process.” struction in November, a move He said it’s “not understandable can’t ignore us.”
estinians amid criticism that the who announced Monday that Is- Mitchell, who in January the United States had hoped why we would now have them sit Biden’s trip may not be enough
Obama administration has set rael and the Palestinians had boasted that a peace deal could would give Abbas enough politi- in separate rooms and move be- to satisfy the critics.
back the peace process. agreed to indirect talks. In a sign be done within two years, said he cal cover to return to negotia- tween them.” “While we welcome Vice Presi-
Biden’s four-day visit — in ad- of how fragile the peace process hoped the indirect talks would tions toward Palestinian state- “I have been disappointed this dent Biden, a longtime friend and
dition to reassuring Israeli lead- has become, he acknowledged lead to direct negotiations as hood. past year with the lack of bold- supporter of Israel,” said Danny
ers about the U.S. commitment to that the structure and scope of soon as possible and encouraged “Israelis and Palestinians ness and the lack of creativity and Danon, the deputy speaker of the
curb Iran’s nuclear program — is the talks had not yet been agreed the parties “to refrain from any aren’t ready for direct talks; their the lack of strength in our diplo- Knesset, Israel’s parliament, “we
designed to prod Israel and the upon. statements or actions which may positions are too far apart,” said macy with respect to this peace see it as nothing short of an insult
Palestinians to get talks moving After so many years of direct inflame tensions or prejudice the Aaron David Miller, a former process. We have not articulated that President Obama himself is
again. With a speech in Tel Aviv talks that wrestled with the core outcome of these talks.” Middle East negotiator in Repub- a policy, and we don’t have a not coming.”
on Thursday, he will also try to issues of the future of Jerusalem, Just such a thing happened lican and Democratic administra- strategy,” Kurtzer, who advised zachariaj@washpost.com
Voter turnout was 62 percent, Iraq says
the democratic process as a po- No official results were expec- we’re right on track for that.”
Kurds led all groups;
tential way to regain influence as ted until later in the week. Ana- At the moment, there are about
the U.S. draws down. lysts said it was unlikely that any 96,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Sunni participation That represents a marked single political coalition would U.S. officials played down vio-
greater than expected
change in attitude from 2005, gain a decisive victory. lence on Sunday, calling reports
when Sunni parties boycotted the The months to come are expec- of mortar attacks across the cap-
vote as a protest of the U.S. occu- ted to be politically precarious, as ital untrue. Odierno said most of
by Leila Fadel pation. Salahuddin province, a rivals forge new alliances and the blasts were bottles packed
mostly Sunni province, had a battle for seats in the next gov- with explosives that were hidden
baghdad — Iraqi officials an- turnout of 73 percent. In Anbar ernment. The process has the po- in heaps of trash. Iraqi police said
nounced Monday that 62 percent province, once a bastion of the tential to further polarize sectari- that of 100 attacks, 20 wounded
of registered voters cast ballots in Sunni insurgency, 61 percent of an and ethnic divides while Iraq’s or killed people.
Sunday’s parliamentary elec- voters went to the polls. first sovereign government forms U.S. Ambassador Christopher
tions, a total slightly lower than The Kurdish north, predict- and the U.S. military reduces its R. Hill said losers in the vote
in the 2005 national elections but ably, had the highest turnout. presence. must accept their defeat.
higher than in last year’s pro- More than 75 percent of regis- On Monday, Gen. Ray Odierno, “At some point, there will be a
vincial elections. tered voters cast ballots in the au- the commander of U.S. troops in winner declared and there will be
There was stronger-than-ex- tonomous region, which includes Iraq, called the elections a mile- losers declared,” Hill said. “That’s
THAIER AL-SUDANI/REUTERS
pected turnout in predominantly three provinces. stone that would allow the Unit- when all Iraqis, including Iraqi An employee of the Independent High Electoral Commission in
Sunni provinces, suggesting that Turnout in Baghdad, the cap- ed States to draw down to 50,000 political elites, need to accept the Baghdad aligns boxes containing the special parliamentary ballots.
a minority group that lost power ital, was among the lowest na- troops by Sept. 1. process and move on.”
with the fall of Saddam Hussein tionwide, at 53 percent, due at “Unless there’s a catastrophic On Sunday night, both the and the secular Iraqiya list, led by
in 2003 and tried to regain it with least partly to attacks Sunday event, we don’t see that chang- State of Law coalition, led by Ayad Allawi, predicted victory. Special correspondent Qais Mizher
a years-long insurgency now sees morning that left 38 people dead. ing,” Odierno said. “We believe Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, fadell@washpost.com contributed to this report.
DIGEST
IRAN CHINA villas. arrests. Red notices allow arrest
PAKISTAN
0 300
TAJIK.
U.S. ready to join Officials to press
Housing Minister Jiang Weixin warrants issued by national po-
MILES
Attack by Taliban
CHINA
said at a news conference that lice authorities to be circulated to
Kabul
effort against drugs affordability issues
the government would increase other countries to facilitate ar-
kills 12 in Lahore
s
Islamabad the stock of affordable housing rests and help possible extradi-
AFGHANISTAN
I
n
d
u
Rawalpindi U.S. and Iranian officials, Senior Chinese officials vowed and crack down on developers tion. Interpol said the move
The Pakistani Taliban, an um- whose relations are frayed over Monday to rein in skyrocketing who hoard land and apartments brought the number of red notic-
brella militant group that had
Kandahar Lahoreore
INDIA
NeNew
Tehran’s nuclear program, held a home prices, make medical ser- to force up prices. es in the case to 27, highlighting
been weakened in recent months,
IRAN
PAKISTAN DelhiDelhi rare meeting at which an Amer- vices more affordable and im- — Associated Press the suspected international links
staged a forceful resurgence ican official said Washington is prove social security, key issues and scale of the assassination
Monday with an attack that
Suicide car
ready to cooperate on fighting that have provoked widespread Former Guantanamo detainees plot, which Dubai police have
killed at least 12 in the heartland
Karachi bombing
drugs, officials said Monday. discontent that the government appeal secrecy ruling: Lawyers blamed on Israel.
city of Lahore. As the workday
Arabian Sea
U.S. envoy Glyn Davies said he fears could threaten stability. for six former detainees appealed
began, a suicide bomber rammed had held a meeting Friday with The issues, in particular prop- a ruling that the British govern- U.S. missionary released in Hai-
GENE THORP/THE WASHINGTON POST
his explosives-packed truck into Ali Asghar Soltanieh of Iran, erty prices, have ranked high in ment can use secret evidence to ti: Authorities released Charisa
an unmarked house where secu- which is chairing the week-long surveys of the public on what fight a claim that it was complicit Coulter, one of the last two U.S.
rity agents interrogate suspected based in the nation’s harsh bor- U.N. Commission on Narcotic topics they think should be in their abuse. The former terror Baptist missionaries jailed for
militants, underscoring the abili- derlands, unleashed a string of Drugs meeting in Vienna. “We tackled by China’s legislature, suspects, all British citizens or trying to take orphans out of the
ty of Islamist extremists to strike suicide bombings throughout the are very happy to work with the known as the National People’s residents, are suing the govern- country after the Jan. 12 earth-
against the Pakistani state. country as the army prepared an chair, even if he is from a country Congress, at its annual session, ment and intelligence agencies quake. The Idaho woman was ar-
Pakistani officials reported a offensive against the group last which we have differences with,” which ends Sunday. Chinese over their alleged mistreatment rested Jan. 29 with nine other
string of high-profile Taliban and fall. But analysts say military op- Davies said. leaders worry that a stimulus- in Afghanistan, Guantanamo and Americans while trying to leave
al-Qaeda arrests recently, but the erations have scattered fighters Iranian officials were not avail- driven torrent of bank lending is elsewhere. Haiti with 33 children without
Lahore police chief said that no while stepped-up U.S. drone at- able for comment, but U.S. offi- fueling a dangerous bubble in the proper documents. The
high-profile prisoners were being tacks are believed to have killed cials said that Washington was stock and real estate prices. Prop- Interpol joins Dubai murder in- group says it was trying to help
held at the house. Pakistan’s In- their leader. The group’s attacks prepared to work with Iran on erty speculation has frustrated vestigation: The global police orphans after the earthquake.
terior Ministry warned nearly a had slowed in recent weeks, and tackling global drug flows and the ambitions of many would-be body Interpol is assisting Dubai Eight of the Americans had al-
week ago that suicide bombers Punjab province, where Lahore that there was room for coopera- home buyers, while newspapers police investigating the murder ready been released. Still in cus-
had entered the city and were sits, had not been hit in two tion with Iran on the issue. are filled with reports of well- of Hamas official Mahmoud al- tody is the group’s leader, Laura
planning attacks. months. — Reuters heeled investors paying record Mabhouh and has issued a fur- Silsby.
The Pakistani Taliban, which is — Karin Brulliard prices for luxury apartments and ther 16 “red notices” to assist in — From news services
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