Thursday, May 19, 2011

05/19/11

* Obama's vision for Mideast peace: Israel, Palestine based on 1967 borders with land swaps U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that the U.S. endorses the Palestinians' demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war.

* Right wing MKs: Obama is the new Arafat Knesset members on the Right expressed outrage on Thursday night at US President Barack Obama's call for the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines.

* Osama Bin Laden: Al-Qaeda releases posthumous message A recording purported to have been made by Osama Bin Laden shortly before he died has been released by al-Qaeda.

* Bin Laden successor: U.S.-trained colonel plotted long-term strategy in Iran Around May 15, jihadist circles reported that Saif al-Adel (Sword of Justice) had been appointed caretaker leader of Al Qaida.

* China 'will not match' US military power - general China has no intention to match US military power, a top Chinese general has said.

* Abbas calls emergency meeting over Obama address Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called an emergency meeting of the PA leadership to discuss US President Barack Obama's speech on peace in the Middle East.

* New economies challenge EU claim to IMF throne Brazil, China, Russia and Turkey have indicated they want their people to run for the top job at the International Monetary Fund.

* Obama says Gaddafi's departure from Libya inevitable President Barack Obama said on Thursday it was inevitable Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would have to leave power and only then could a democratic transition in the North African state proceed.

* In Arab world, disappointment Obama didn’t go further Barack Obama on Thursday invoked the killing of Osama bin Laden as a chance to recast relations with the Arab world.

* Netanyahu: 1967 borders can't be defended Israel's prime minister has rejected a key aspect of President Barack Obama's policy speech, saying that a return to his country's 1967 borders would spell disaster for the Jewish state.