News roundup 04.18.2006

The long war in Iraq

The Los Angeles Times recounts a lengthy battle between Iraqi security forces and insurgents.

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

BAGHDAD - U.S. officials were warned for more than two years that Shiite Muslim militias were infiltrating Iraq's security forces and taking control of neighborhoods, but they failed to take action to counteract the threat, Iraqi and American officials said.

Rumsfeld's job

The Washington Post's editorial:

PRESIDENT BUSH'S stubborn support for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has compounded U.S. troubles in Iraq, prevented a remedy for the criminal mistreatment of foreign detainees and worsened relations with a host of allies. Now it is deepening the domestic political hole in which the president is mired.

The New York Times: "Rumsfeld Says Calls for Ouster 'Will Pass'"

Iran

The Guardian: "Oil prices rise amid Iran fears"

The Times of London:

Iran staged a show of military might today as thousands of its troops paraded with guns, rockets and even small submarines through central Tehran.

Reuters via the Boston Globe:

MOSCOW -- The United States will press other major world powers today to consider what it calls targeted sanctions against Iran as an April 30 deadline nears for Tehran to demonstrate to the UN that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

Hamas

Michael Binyon in the Times of London:

The clear aim of those behind the bomber was to heighten the tension both within Israel and among the Palestinians and sabotage any de facto accommodation with Hamas. It is no coincidence that this comes after renewed calls by Iran’s President for the destruction of Israel and after Iran offered to step in to fund the Hamas Government.

The Boston Globe: "Hamas defends restaurant bombing"

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Unlike the larger Islamist group Hamas, which declared a temporary halt to suicide bombings last year, Islamic Jihad has pressed on, claiming responsibility for most of the nine suicide bombings that have struck Israel in the last 15 months. Thirty-six people have died in those attacks.

A.P.: "Qatar pledges funds to Hamas"

The Christian Science Monitor: "Attack tests Israeli response to Hamas"

The Times of London: "Israel rules out retaliation strike against Hamas"

Staff shake up?

The Washington Post:

Newly installed White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten sent a clear signal on his first full day on the job yesterday that a broader shake-up of President Bush's politically troubled operation is imminent, asking aides who are thinking of leaving sometime this year to submit their resignations right away.

The Chicago Tribune:

But experts said they don't foresee significant changes in policy. And unless one of the new faces is a jarring choice, the adjustments are unlikely to give President Bush's ailing poll numbers a strong boost.

Sudan

A.P. via Los Angeles Times:

UNITED NATIONS — Russia and China on Monday blocked proposed sanctions against four Sudanese accused of interfering with peace efforts and violating human rights in Darfur.