ISW News Roundup - February 21, 2009
Pakistan
Reuters - Mother appeals for release of U.S. hostage in Pakistan
LA Times - Suicide bomber kills 28 in northern Pakistan, by Laura King
Washington Post - Blast Fuels Sectarian Strife in Pakistan, by Pamela Constable and Haq Nawaz Khan
New York Times - U.S. Widens Missile Strike Inside Pakistan, by Mark Mazzetti and David E. Sanger
Long War Journal - North and South Waziristan Taliban groups form alliance, by Bill Roggio
Reuters - Pakistani Taliban agree to "permanent ceasefire" in Swat, by Junaid Khan
Reuters - FACTBOX: Facts about insurgency in Pakistan's Swat valley
Afghanistan
Reuters - U.S. secures Afghan supply route, by Roman Kozhevnikov
New York Times - NATO Allies Offer Support for Afghans, by Thom Shanker
Washington Times - U.S. open to Afghan peace deal
Washington Times - Officials find Afghan's ties to terrorist, by Ben Conery
Associated Press - US: 13 civilians killed in Afghan operation, by Jason Straziuso
Associated Press - Pelosi Meets With Karzai in Afghanistan
Reuters - U.S. expects allies' commitment for Afghanistan: Gates, by David Brunnstrom
Long War Journal - Afghan National Army Air Corps Update, by CJ Radin
LA Times - NATO 'alive and kicking,' its chief says, by Henry Chu
Iraq
Reuters - Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, renamed, reopens, by Saif Tawfeeq
Associated Press - Sunnis suspect in Shi'ite bombing, by Ishtiaq Mahshud
Washington Post - Army Medic Is Sentenced for Murder of Iraqi Detainees, by George Frey
RFE/RL - Iraq Seeks Financial Disclosure Law to Fight Corruption
Times Online UK - Emma Sky, British 'tree-hugger' in Iraq who learnt to love US military
Associated Press - U.S. medic gets life in Iraq killings
Associated Press - Analysis: Even military split over Iraq pullout, by Robert Burns
Region
Lebanon
Reuters - Rocket from Lebanon wounds three Israelis: medics
Reuters - FACTBOX: Armed groups operating in south Lebanon
Iran
Reuters - Iran understates uranium stocks to IAEA: diplomats, by Mark Heinrich
RFE/RL - Iranian Student Leader Says Crackdown Due To Upcoming Election
Associated Press - Iran blocks Web sites promoting reformist Khatami, by Ali Akbar Dareini
Washington Post - Iran Easing Aspects Of Nuclear Program, by Joby Warrick
Syria
Associated Press - Syria, US explore improving ties as Kerry visits, by Sam F. Ghattas
Times Online UK - World Agenda: Will Western wooing entice Syria to come in from cold, by Catherine Philip
Israel
Times Online UK - Binyamin Netanyahu warns of Iranian nuclear threat, by James Hider
Guantanamo
LA Times - Guantanamo meets Geneva Convention standards, Pentagon study finds, by Josh Meyer
Bin Laden
LA Times - UCLA class project: Find Bin Laden, by Thomas H. Maugh II and Karen Kaplan