BAGHDAD -- Despite a declared ceasefire, Shiite gunmen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and Iranian influenced "special groups" are continuing to attack U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces in Baghdads Sadr City.

Lebanon slipped deeper into turmoil Monday with fierce fighting between government supporters and the Hezbollah-led opposition spreading beyond Beirut and sharply reducing each sides ability to restrain the conflict that seems to be spiraling out of control.

What the Arab papers said on May 12:

The Lebanese government last week tried to put a stop to Hezbollahs blatant takeover of the country. Authorities outlawed Hezbollahs illegal parallel telecom network and fired the airports head of security, a Hezbollah ally who had authorized installations of spy cameras in order to monitor the movements of majority leaders.

The Lebanese Hezbollah-led opposition has gained control of west Beirut after disarming pro-government supporters and handing the reins of power to the army, a development that has restored cautious calm after more than two days of fierce gun battles that threatened to drive the country to the brink of civil war.

What the Arab papers are saying on May 9:

SPECIAL REPORT: The key to solving the sectarian clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in the Lebanese capital Beirut can only be found in the context of a larger Middle East solution involving Lebanons two powerful neighbors; Israel and Syria.

The 21st century will not be an easy one for Israel, yet the 20th initially looked even worse: Jewish pogroms in Russia, inept Ottoman rule in the Holy Land, Jews without a state for 2,000 years.

Iran is angry with a British court ruling that would lift the ban on a major Iranian organization opposing the Islamic republic regime that could pave the way for removing Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) from the terrorist blacklist in the Western world.

What the Arab papers said on May 8:

INTERVIEW: The long-standing dispute between the Lebanese government – backed by the United States, France and Saudi Arabia – and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, backed by Syria and Iran turned violent in Beirut Wednesday, after what initially began as a strike over wage demands quickly degenerated into gun battles and once again raised the specter of the civil war.

The Lebanese political crisis took a violent turn Wednesday as supporters of the pro-Western government and the Hezbollah-led opposition exchanged gunfire, while main roads were blocked with burning tires and mounds of dirt, as a general strike paralyzed much of Beirut and suspended air traffic.

JERUSALEM -- While Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has expressed full confidence in the progress of peace negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and her government, Palestinian negotiators are claiming they have neither a negotiating partner in Israel nor the United States.

What the Arab papers said on May 7:

BAGHDAD -- U.S. troops and Shiite gunmen are engaged in a bloody test of wills in Baghdads Shiite enclave of Sadr City over construction of a three-mile barrier wall that will block unfettered extremist gunmen between its northern and southern zones.

There have been an increasing number of reports that Iran is providing arms to Iraqi Shiite militants, who are using them to target both American and Iraqi government forces alike. These Iranian-backed Shiite militants are now seen as more of a threat to American efforts to stabilize Iraq than are al-Qaida in Iraq and other Sunni insurgent groups. American officials are now warning that if Iran does not stop, the United States may strike against it.

In an audacious move that has shaken Lebanons delicate political balance to the core and is expected to provoke disturbing civil repercussions, the pro-Western Lebanese government has announced a number of security decisions against the powerful Shiite Hezbollah organization.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the export value of Afghanistans opium production was about $4 billion last year, of which 24 percent went to those working at the lower to middle end of the opium chain. The bulk of the money goes to regional and international trafficking organizations that have ties with the Taliban, terrorists, and multinational criminal organizations.

What the Arab papers said on May 6:

JERUSALEM -- Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, could soon be thrown out of the Israeli government as police continue to investigate new allegations against him on which a gag order has been placed.

In recent weeks there have been a number of indications that a rapprochement between Syria and Israel might still be possible. At a press conference held in Washington, D.C., Syrian Ambassador Imad Mustapha said that he believed the time was right for peace talks between his country and Israel. While the unexpected overtures from Damascus have been given somewhat of a frosty reception in Israel, there is a growing belief in the Jewish state that peace with Syria will pay dividends.

The Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are reportedly making "significant progress" on the future borders of a Palestinian state and security arrangements, according to the Israelis, but the Palestinians have yet to announce any movement on the major final status questions regarding their fate.

What the Arab papers said on May 5:

CAIRO – Egyptian activists failed Sunday for the second time in a month to rally the public to down tools in a general strike to send a message of protest to President Hosni Mubarak on his 80th birthday about price hikes and curbs to their freedom. After weeks of build-up to the planned strike action the result was a repeat of the April 6 attempt: Cairos streets were congested and few seemed to care.

To many observers Iran is the big winner in the Middle East. While the end result remains to be seen, what seems certain is that the Islamic republic appears to be faring better geopolitically than domestically. And although uncensored information regarding the countrys internal problems is scarce and tough to find, reports of increasing trouble in the country are starting to filter out.

Of the 42 groups designated by the U.S. State Department as "foreign terrorist organizations" in its 2007 Country Report on Terrorists, 22 – half of the organizations – hail from the Middle East and North Africa; more if one includes the so-called Greater Middle East. And this is not a complete list by any means.

SHATILLA REFUGEE CAMP, Beirut -- Abu Jamal was 10 years old when his family was forced to leave their home on the outskirts of Acre in Palestine 60 years ago. Today, he sits around a table with his friends drinking tea and playing cards in an alley in Shatilla refugee camp in Beirut.

What the Arab papers said on May 2:

The just released Country Report on Terrorism 2007 by the U.S. State Department outlines a number of areas that serve as safe havens for terrorists. But first it would be useful to delineate what qualifies as a safe haven.

This year the Turkish Constitutional Court will hear a crucial petition aimed at banning the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), including its leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Abdullah Gul, and 70 more AKP politicians. This will be the fifth petition in the history of the court to prohibit political parties. It granted four in the past.

CAIRO -- Almost two months after Amal Soliman became the gem child of Arab world feminists when she was appointed as the Islamic worlds first female maazun (notary), the men in Egypts Ministry of Justice still have not given their seal of approval.

GAZA CITY, Gaza -- While Palestinian journalists staged a sit-in in Gaza city to protest the killing of 23-year-old Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana and Lebanese journalists protested the killing in Beirut, Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger called for an investigation.

"Frankly, so far nothing has been achieved." This was the startling yet straightforward statement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after his failure in Washington last week to have U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exercise some arm-twisting in the stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

BEIRUT – Few Lebanese will argue that their countrys political crisis is entrenched and depressingly hopeless. But despite deep worries on the street that the ongoing lack of a president and a virtually paralyzed government could lead to a civic meltdown, political rivals have told the Middle East Times that conditions on the ground are not ripe for civil war.

The year 2007 was marked by the affiliation of regional insurgent groups with al-Qaida, who along with its associated networks remained the greatest terrorist threat to the United States and its partners in 2007, according to the 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism released by the U.S. State department Wednesday.

JERUSALEM -- Israels ambassador to the U.N., Dan Gillerman, called Carter a bigot last week during a briefing with journalists sponsored by The Israel Project, a Washington-based, media-oriented advocacy group.

What the Arab papers said on April 30:

Acetic anhydride is the essential precursor used for converting opium into morphine base and heroin. It looks and smells a lot like vinegar. Its sole use in Afghanistan is in drug refineries that have increased their annual demand from about 200 tons to 1,330 tons during the last six years.

Is al-Qaida now targeting Iran? As is well known, al-Qaida is a radical Sunni organization while the Islamic Republic of Iran is a revolutionary Shiite regime. Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting each other in Iraq, and animosity between the two communities has been growing in Lebanon. The recent denunciation of Iran by bin Laden deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, raises the possibility of direct confrontation between al-Qaida and Tehran inside Iran.

BEIRUT -- At first glance, life in Beirut seems to be moving along normally. Road traffic is congested as usual. People are going about their daily lives, heading to their offices, walking the streets with their colorful shopping bags, friends chatting over a good meal and drinks at the stylish restaurants and cafés as if everything is perfectly normal.

Change on the political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa – a region that has experienced the least turnover of leadership when compared with much of the rest of the world – is undoubtedly coming. It is not exactly a wind of change just yet, more like a timid draft. But change is coming nevertheless. The region cannot stagnate, as it has, given the technological arsenal being deployed.

What the Arab papers said on April 29:

BEIRUT -- The Lebanese political crisis has plunged the powerful Maronite Christian community into a crisis of its own, raising fears that the longer the presidential seat remains vacant, the greater the threat on the communitys political role.

What the Arab papers said on April 28:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter went to Damascus last week to meet with Hamas Khaled Meshaal, a man accused of terrorism by the United States, Israel and the European Union. Carters initiative was criticized by the leadership in Washington and Jerusalem as appeasing terrorism. As damaging as some people, such as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, say Carters freelance diplomacy is to the United States, another visit by a Western dignitary to another Mideast leader, also accused of supporting terror, may have even greater repercussions.

Syria has refuted U.S. accusations that it was seeking North Korean technical assistance to develop a secret nuclear program stating it does not have a plan to acquire nuclear technology, even for peaceful purposes.

JERUSALEM -- Israeli government officials reiterated Friday there will be no talks with Hamas leaders despite the groups declaration of a six-month truce.

When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent his "army" to fight the al-Mahdi Army in Basra, U.S. President George W. Bush called it "a defining moment." It turned out instead to be a confirming moment. It confirmed that there is no state in Mesopotamia – the geographical territory known as the nation of Iraq.

GAZA -- It was a sleepless and fitful night punctuated by repetitive outbreaks of gunfire, sonic booms, and deep dull thuds as intermittent explosions broke the nights silence. Around 6 am on Saturday the sound of a massive explosion reverberated through al-Bureij refugee camp.

What the Arab papers said on April 24:

The U.S. print and electronic media are facing serious and damaging criticism in the wake of self-inflicted blunders in the midst of a heated fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, as well as the misguided pontificating on U.S. foreign policy issues, especially relating to the Middle East.

BEIRUT -- Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah is a prominent Lebanese Muslim scholar and author, and a spiritual guide to millions of Shiites around the world. In an exclusive interview with Sana Abdallah of the Middle East Times at his residence in Beiruts southern suburbs, Fadlallah, 72, spoke about his relationship with Lebanons Islamic group Hezbollah, the Iranian-U.S. face-off in the region, the Lebanese political crisis, and sectarian struggles in Lebanon and Iraq. Following are excerpts from the interview, translated from Arabic.

What the Arab papers said on April 23:

GAZA -- The Israeli Physicians for Human Rights organization accused the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, this week of deliberately delaying the entrance of critically ill Gazans into Israel for urgent medical treatment. The group added that the number of cases rejected was also rising.

The United States attributes the latest conflicts in Basra to Iranian meddling and the continued activity of al-Qaida forces, but the reality on the ground suggests it is a violent manifestation of the political culture in Iraq.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter started out his latest Middle East trip with dark clouds hanging over him. Both the U.S. administration of George W. Bush and the Israeli government opposed his plans to include a meeting with the Damascus-based leadership of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, otherwise known as Hamas.

Heroin, morphine base, opium, and hashish are carried out of Afghanistan along traditional and newly developed smuggling routes that cross its porous borders. Some is hidden under truckloads of produce, while small quantities are concealed in luggage, on the body, or in the stomach of international air passengers who traveled to the country for the sole purpose of bringing out a few grams, or a few kilos, of heroin.

BEIRUT -- The shooting deaths of two activists from a pro-government Lebanese Christian party on Sunday have underscored the level of political disarray and heightened fears of civil war as international forces remain locked in a power struggle over this small country.

What the Arab papers said on April 21

Although there were no major foiled, failed or executed terrorist attacks in Europe in 2007, Europol still witnessed a sharp increase in both terrorist attacks and arrests on terrorism charges. But only four of the 583 terrorist attacks committed were linked to militant Islam.

CAIRO -- What is believed to be Egypts first Arabic language graphic novel has sparked the ire of the authorities over its political and social themes and attracted the attention of the countrys discipline police.

A few months ago Bernard Squarcini the head of the DST (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire), the French equivalent of the FBI, told the French daily Libération regarding Islamic radicalization: "An ideological transformation can be done in three months on the Web. An individual can at night auto-radicalize himself via the Web and get in touch with leaders of terrorist organizations." This assessment shows how dire the situation is in Europe when it comes to al-Qaidas use of the Web.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter ignored strong opposition from Israel and the White House to meet with Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal in Damascus on Friday and by doing so inspired Israels industry minister to say he is also ready to meet the exiled Islamist leader.

SPECIAL REPORT: Twenty-five years ago on this day, April 18, I was driving back from the U.S. Marine compound near Beirut International Airport where a press conference was held for the big news item of the day: a Marine guarding the perimeter was shot at. The Marine was unhurt, but the bullet went through his baggy trousers. That was the top news item of the day … until … until 1:03 p.m. That was the exact time when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden van into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. The blast was heard and felt several miles away.

As fighting continues to rage in the Gaza Strip and progress bogs down in the U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has turned to Russia for help.

What the Arab papers said on April 17:

CAIRO -- The Muslim Brotherhood is facing its most difficult test in recent times after a controversial ruling by a military court in Egypt on Wednesday sentenced 25 of its leading members to prison sentences.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the former – and quite possibly the future – prime minister of Israel, said Wednesday that a nuclear-armed Iran must not be allowed and should be stopped by the worlds civilized nations.

The war rhetoric between two leading powers in the Middle East, Iran and Israel, has intensified this week, with each side warning the other of destruction if attacked first, as world leading countries met to discuss containing Irans nuclear program.

What the Arab papers said on April 16:

JERUSALEM -- Israeli police raided the Jerusalem studio of Ram FM – an English-language peace radio station, based in the West Bank, which aims to find common ground between Israelis and Palestinians – on the grounds the station was operating without a license.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report includes a section on the annual prevalence of abuse for opiates, cannabis, and other drugs as a percentage of the population aged 15 to 64 for each respective country monitored. These rates reflect the percentage of people who used the drug in the 12-month period prior to the survey. Morphine use is typically very small and included in the number of heroin users.

Russian-Israeli relations are complex. Israel is very unhappy about Moscows close ties with two of Israels primary opponents, Iran and Syria. Nor does Israel share Moscows willingness to talk with Hamas – the radical Palestinian group now in control of the Gaza Strip which refuses to recognize Israel.

AMMAN -- Nobel Peace Laureate and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, is resisting American and Israeli objections to pursue what he believes to be a way to make peace in the Middle East by including all parties, regardless of whether they are labeled "terrorists" or "rogue" states.

What the Arab papers said on April 15:

AMMAN -- The political undertones surrounding a rare visit by the Israeli foreign minister to a Gulf Arab country to take part in an international forum are overshadowing the content of the meeting on democracy, free trade and sustainable development.

What the Arab papers said on April 14:

Syria has been regularly popping up in the news. In fact, recent events point to the importance of that country for the future of the Middle East. Syrias political situation may indeed have an important impact on a few countries: first of course Lebanon, second Iraq, third Israel, and finally Iran.

The surprising resignation of the entire Kuwaiti cabinet, the dismissal of parliament, and the upcoming parliamentary elections under new election regulations have inspired a spectrum of predictions on the future of democracy in Kuwait.

MUQDADIYA, Iraq -- U.S. troops are helping crack down on sectarian crime by Iraqi police in Diyala province to safeguard security and sectarian reconciliation efforts in the region.

AMMAN -- Israeli military forces on Friday killed six Gazans in air strikes and a ground incursion into the Hamas-controlled strip, a day after Israeli leaders vowed to strike at Hamas following an attack by Gaza militants who killed two Israelis at a border oil depot.

What the Arab papers said on April 11:

Amid chilling rhetoric reminiscent of Europe of the 1930s, Irans President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has promised to give the West a "bloody nose" and "smash it on the mouth."

JERUSALEM -- An error led to the first-ever female Muslim Israeli-Arab soldier recently joining one of the Israeli Air Force elite units. But after the mistake was discovered the units commander was so impressed with the womans ability and achievements that he allowed her to stay, breaking all the rules.

WASHINGTON -- Dory Chamoun is the sole surviving son of former Lebanese President Camille Chamoun, who founded the National Liberal Party, one of Lebanons right-wing Christian groups.

AMMAN -- New developments surrounding the U.N. inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri and its intricate details are raising more questions than providing answers to the crime that plunged Lebanon into its worst crisis since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

What the Arab papers said on April 10:

MOSCOW -- Two years ago Tehran officially declared that the first batch of low-enriched uranium required for the production of fuel for nuclear reactors had been produced at the Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan. This memorable day is celebrated annually in Iran as the National Day of Nuclear Technology, which fell on April 8 this year.

FOB NORMANDY, Iraq -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus is giving Congress his command assessment on how the "surge" of troops in Iraq has affected security and stability in the country, but lost in the recitation of facts and figures is the mood of the troops themselves.

AMMAN -- Five years after U.S. forces helped Iraqis topple a large statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdoos Square in Baghdad and cheering crowds took turns at hitting and kicking the symbol of the man who ruled them with an iron fist for 25 years, the country finds itself gripped by foreign occupation and a seething undercurrent of civil war.

What the Arab papers said on April 9:

Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev has promised to appoint outgoing President Vladimir Putin as his prime minister. But what would happen if he doesnt? This possibility was explored via a role-playing game in my undergraduate Russian politics course earlier this semester.

JERUSALEM -- The deteriorating economic situation in the Palestinian territories has forced many Palestinian children to leave school and take up menial work in an effort to try and help their families survive economically.

CAIRO -- Amid turmoil and demonstrations over crippling price rises, Egypt went ahead with local elections on Tuesday much to the frustration of activists and the leading opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

AMMAN -- This was not the response the Iraqi government was hoping for after issuing an ultimatum that militias surrender their weapons by Tuesday: fresh clashes erupted early April 8 in Sadrist strongholds in Baghdad, base of the Shiite al-Mahdi Army of maverick cleric Moqtada Sadr, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more, while militias hurled mortars into the Green Zone.

Replying to a column published yesterday on the precarious situation in "Middle East Democracy and Mideast headcount," one reader made the following comment: "I would suggest that any war artificially ended before a clear victor and a clear loser emerge will reignite.... What did people think was going to happen when they forced Israel to halt its drubbing of Hezbollah two summers ago before they were done? Germany waited a couple of decades...doubtful Iran will."

What the Arab papers said on April 8:

JERUSALEM -- Tensions on Israels northern border have increased significantly as the Jewish state began a week of the largest ever military exercises and emergency drills in the countrys history on Sunday, raising fear and suspicion from its arch enemies Hezbollah, Syria and Iran that a preemptive strike could be in the offing.

In Afghanistan opium poppies are much more likely to be grown in areas where security has broken down and power is wielded by the Taliban, who encourage farmers to grow the crop. It does not take a lot of prodding, since farmers can make about 10 to 20 times more money growing poppies than they can make on wheat, corn, cotton, fruit, or other legal crops. But, opium has increased expenses, including additional labor for harvesting and bribes to avoid eradication.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met on Monday for the first time since February to continue discussions on finalizing a peace deal, but the gap between them continues to widen, dimming expectations of an accord.