Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London; Saudi Arabia): 'Cannot Ignore Israel Because We See It From Our Rooftops' – The head of the Syrian delegation to Washington, Samir al-Taki, said Syria cannot ignore Israel's existence "because we can see the Israeli forces from our buildings' rooftops," adding that his country also cannot ignore America after it became a "neighbor" in Iraq. At the Brookings Institution in Washington, Taki also spoke about the Syrian-Iranian alliance, explaining that regional circumstances had pushed Damascus toward this alliance because Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were preoccupied with their own problems.

Al-Watan (Oman): Iran Renews Insistence on Enrichment – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday told thousands of people in a speech that his country will not succumb to pressure by powerful nations regarding Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, the White House said Washington still hopes that Iran would accept the international offer to suspend uranium enrichment, warning of new sanctions on Tehran if it refuses the deal.

Al-Rayah (Qatar): Libya Threatens Measures Against Swiss Interests – Libya on Wednesday threatened Switzerland with measures against its interests after Swiss police last week detained Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, Hannibal, for two days in Geneva. Tripoli asked the Swiss authorities for an official apology or face measures that could include a halt to oil supplies, while Bern announced that Libya has already taken retaliatory measures against it.

Al-Fadjr (Algeria): Bashir Vows to Pursue Peace in Darfur; Defies Court – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, during a visit to Darfur, renewed his defiance against the International Criminal Court prosecution's request for an arrest warrant against him, insisting this would not obstruct peace efforts in the region. Addressing thousands of people in north Darfur, Bashir said there were attempts to divide the region, stressing the Sudanese government will not allow that to succeed.

Al-Bayan (United Arab Emirates): EU Threatens to Impose Visas on U.S. Diplomats – The European Commission on Wednesday threatened to reinstate visas on American diplomats visiting EU nations as of January if Washington does not remove restrictions imposed on citizens from 12 European member states. The commission said the United States had promised during the European-U.S. summit last June to exempt all EU member citizens from entry visas to the United States, but that no progress has been made on that front.