In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles

Former senator gets Mideast portfolio; ex-ambassador Afghanistan and Pakistan

(NEWSER) - President Obama and newly minted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton moved quickly today to build the administration’s diplomatic efforts, naming George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke special envoys, Reuters reports; both appointments were expected. Former Sen. Mitchell will focus on facilitating peace talks between Israel and Palestine, while ex-UN ambassador Holbrooke will address issues in war-torn Pakistan and Afghanistan. More»

... after 7 Israelis were killed in morning attacks

(NEWSER) - Israel retaliated over terror attacks earlier today by launching airstrikes into Gaza that claimed the lives of six people, CNN reports . Palestinian authorities say the strikes, just west of Rafah near Egypt's border, killed five members of Popular Resistance Committees and the son of one member. Israeli defense forces say the members organized today's terror attacks with the hope of kidnapping an Israeli soldier or civilian. Seven Israelis were killed. More»

PM appeasing government's extreme right, writes Christopher Hitchens

(NEWSER) - Benjamin Netanyahu is a hostage to the extreme right of Israel’s government, and the Obama administration is trying to appease him—a decision the US “will come to regret.” The US offer of “ security incentives and fighter jets ” following a proposed temporary freeze in settlement-building makes Christopher Hitchens wonder: Why does America “acquiesce so wretchedly in its own disgrace at the hands of a virtual client state?” More»

(NEWSER) - The indecisive Israeli election will likely produce weeks of wrangling and coalition building, frustrating both Israelis and the Obama administration, which had hoped for an immediate partner in Mideast peace talks, Time reports. Though Tzipi Livni’s centrist Kadima party slightly edged out Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud, he is seen as the eventual choice for prime minister, and the Likud-led government he forms will likely include the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu party. More»

18 injured in Israeli counterstrike

(NEWSER) - Fresh violence in Gaza today threatened the fragile ceasefire as George Mitchell called for a lasting truce between Hamas and Israel, AFP reports. An Israeli air strike wounded 18 Palestinians, including 11 children and a pregnant woman. The Israeli army said it was targeting a Hamas policeman responsible for a bombing that killed an Israeli soldier 2 days ago. More»