Today on EA (18 January 2010)

Iran: There's a lot going on in and about Iran today - the trials are continuing; the Regime's propaganda machine trundles on too! All the news, including links to our own stories and other news media, can be found on our live weblog.

In the light of the Ashura demonstrators' trial starting this morning, and as they are charged with "Mohareb" (offending God and the prophet), Edward Yeranian assesses how this may hurt the regime.

We’ve got the video of the CNN interview in which Tehran University academic Seyed Mohammad Marandi lays out, in the guise of reporting and analysis, the strategy. (Apologies to those of you in the US whom CNN have blocked from seeing the video; the alternative, as laid out by our readers, is to download the video from CNN’s Amanpour website and play it back using QuickTime.)

Afghanistan: We have an evaluation from Juan Cole on this morning's Taliban bomb attack in Kabul, which reportedly killed five and injured eight people. A video of the Esanech (Press TV) report on the attack can be viewed here.

Haiti: EA's Josh Shahyrar has been producing an almost constant humanitarian liveblog since the Haiti earthquake disaster last Tuesday - read his latest posts (17-18 January) here.

Israel: EA's Ali Yenidunya reports on the "strategic" relationship between Israel and Turkey, following Sunday's 3.5 hour meeting in Ankara between Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. An Israeli official said the meeting was conducted "in a very friendly atmosphere".

Palestine: After Israel's Foreign Minister said on Sunday that it would make no further "gestures" towards the Palestinians, Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas has called on Washington to "Draw Red Lines".

Palestine: Abbas Calls on Washington to "Draw Red Lines" for Israel

Despite last week's proposal of the Quartet (US, European Union, United Nations, and Russia) that Israel reopen the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority headquarters in East Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared on Sunday that Israel would not make any more gestures to the Palestinians: "We expect the Palestinians to make gestures to us. First and foremost, they must stop their incitement against Israel in the international arena."

Later on Sunday, the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas intervened and called on Washington to draw "red lines" for Israel. Abbas reiterated their demands on a full halt in the Israeli settlement construction the West Bank.

Israel-Palestine: US Envoy Mitchell Coming with "No Guarantees"?

According to media reports, US special envoy George Mitchell will arrive in the Middle East this week without a new plan to renew negotiations, despite or because of a series of meetings in Paris and Brussels. The claim is being made that Mitchell is arriving with empty hands because a set of "guarantees" could give Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas further pretexts to object to the peace process.

The Ayalon Affair: “Israel Needs Morality; Not a Gangster Diplomacy”
Israel-Palestine: War or Dialogue With Hamas?

According to the “guarantees” put forth so far, Washington would consider the Palestinian demand for a return to the pre-1967 borders s and a full halt to expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem while, at the same time, recognising Israel’s concern over retention of sovereignty over some of its settlements and  supporting a limited “right of return” of Palestinians into Israel.

Israel: Netanyahu's Post-Cabinet Declarations on Gaza, Settlements, Egypt Fence

On Saturday night, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declared: "It is the Palestinian Authority that needs to change its ways --- certainly not the Israeli government." On the following day, Netanyahu made his mark at the Cabinet meeting.

Concerning the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu asserted, "I view this very seriously. The government's policy is clear, any shooting at our territory will receive an immediate and powerful response." His tone did not change in discussion on settlements. While claiming that the 10-month moratorium on construction has been implemented, he said the freeze on West Bank settlements is only temporary: "In another eight months, we'll start building again."

Israel and Gaza: Another War Possible?
Israel: The Reaction to A “More Committed” Washington

Lastly, Netanyahu ordered construction of a fence, at a cost of $1.5 billion, along two segments of Israel's border with Egypt, in an attempt to stem the infiltration of migrant workers as well as terrorist elements into Israel. The Prime Minister said, "I took the decision to close Israel's southern border to infiltrators and terrorists. This is a strategic decision to secure Israel's Jewish and democratic character."

Israel: The Reaction to A "More Committed" Washington

Last Wednesday, its ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, rebuffed Washington's "two-year time frame": "In the past, attempts to impose time frameworks have not proved either realizable or helpful."

For Oren, the framework of talks should include security for Israel, recognition of the nation as a Jewish state, and an end-of-claims conclusion to the talks. Oren said this would be "a statement of what Israel's goals are and what the Palestinians' goals are, even if the assumption is that they wouldn't be immediately confluent". Referring to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement following PM Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of a 10-month construction freeze , Oren stated that "these goals can be reconciled through good-faith negotiations."

Palestine: The Reaction to A “More Committed” Washington
Israel: Goldstone’s Return — Economic Sanctions on Tel Aviv?
Israel: Former Supreme Court President “Stop Boycotting International Criminal Court”

Clinton had said: "We believe that through good-faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements."