Word: primed
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...clash of bombs, bullets, rockets and images. After that will come the battle to shape the perception of victory. Israelis go to the polls next month to pick a new government, and more hawkish politicians may accuse Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Livni (both of whom are running for Prime Minister) of failing to finish the job. That, and the probability that the cease-fire will include a mechanism for reopening the border crossings, makes the Islamists believe that, despite the casualty count, the war is not going too badly for them...
...Although Egypt, which brokered last June's cease-fire but remains hostile to Hamas, invited the radical Palestinian group to talks in Cairo on Monday, Hamas is looking elsewhere for mediation: to Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been touring the region, and plans to take Hamas' cease-fire demands to the U.N. Security Council this week. Ankara, via its relations with Syria, has better access to Hamas than Egypt does. Turkey also has historically close relations with Israel and is a key NATO member, although it has angered Israeli leaders by condemning Israel for maintaining the economic siege...
...Several Thais are currently being investigated after lèse-majesté complaints were lodged against them. (A private citizen can lodge such a complaint in Thailand.) Among those accused is a political ally of Thaksin Shinawatra, a self-exiled former Thai Prime Minister who was ousted in a 2006 army coup but who still commands support among the rural populace. Among other allegations, the generals accuse Thaksin of disrespecting the monarchy, a charge he denies...
...Just two days after making his declaration to the MEK, al-Maliki left for a scheduled diplomatic visit to Iran - his fourth since taking office. The Iraqi Prime Minister was expected to try to ease fears that Iraq might be used as a base to attack Iran. He has pledged that won't happen. But it remains uncertain as to what is in store...
...Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was absent from the ceremony. On Monday he was scheduled to return from a two-day visit to the U.S.'s adversary, Iran, where he met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatullah Khamenei. According to Iranian state news agency IRNA, Khamenei told al-Maliki on Sunday that the U.S. presence in Iraq was the root cause of terrorism, and that the U.S. seeks to establish a permanent base there to dominate the region. He urged further political and economic cooperation with Iran...