Americas

"...with the potential for real and progressive change on both sides, there is a chance for both a resumption of and a breakthrough in negotiations. But this will depend on the willingness of the international community to take up the gauntlet. The sides, as has been seen before, need the help of the international community, not only in coaxing them into negotiating, but, perhaps more importantly, to bridge the gap in confidence between them. In addition, and by the US in particular, serious pressure must be brought to bear on Israel to cease its settlement- and wall-building in the West Bank, as these constitute long-term and serious impediments to any chance of grasping the opportunity that imminent political change might bring."

"There are some in the Bush Administration who have sought to play into these divisive currents—“cherry picking” groups and cultivating their support. At different times they have played the “religion card” alternately courting Muslim groups and separatist Christian groupings as well."

"The Palestinian people, including the refugees of 1948 and 1967, are well deserving of land, as stated under multiple UN resolutions. Resolution 194 explicitly states, “The refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.” The resolution continues to state, “the Governments or authorities responsible” should compensate “those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property.” In 1967, Resolution 242 called for Israel to withdraw from “territories occupied” and this call was reaffirmed in Resolution 338."

"While India's vast population of more than 1 billion somehow seems to hold together, the country itself has failed to resolve major problems, such as the status of Kashmir and the Sikh separatist movement. Moreover, the collective Indian psyche is still profoundly wounded by the 1947 partition; no healing process has yet begun."

"The concern among Islamic groups is how much bloodshed this will take and how many innocent lives will be lost in the process. If the tactics remain extreme and the resistance claims too many innocent lives, the eventual success of the Iraqi resistance may be seen as having come about not because of, but in spite of the Islamic groups."

"Musharraf's policies and his petty opportunism are a grave danger for the region. It is possible that in the end his policies may prove to be seriously counterproductive for world peace."

"...one can fairly conclude that despite the strong boost and prominence the US occupation gave to Iraqi nationalists, the regional reality and the failure of the American (mis)adventure and those Iraqis who supported it in creating a new democratic, stable and flourishing Iraq will play into the hand of the Arab nationalists yet again. In fact, this failure is being successfully exploited by Arab nationalists to prove that the US has no interest whatsoever in creating a new Iraq or solving any of its problems, and the only way to get out of the enormous problems created by the occupation is with the brotherly help of other Arab countries. The American resort to the Arab League to help them get out of the Iraq impasse will only strengthen this feeling."

"The Turkish government's obsession with EU membership is certainly preventing it from addressing more pressing issues, such as the Kurdish question, its relations with other Muslim countries..."