The elections in Iraq, as novel of an experience as they are, pave the way for a struggle that must end with the correct choice, so as not to have this country turn into another Lebanon.

U.S Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Israel, and wrote in a guestbook at President Shimon Peres’ residence that “the bond between our two nations has been and will remain unshakable. Only together can we achieve lasting peace in the region.” In a conversation with the reporters after that, Mr. Biden stressed the significance of Israel’s security, and denied the existence of any differences with Israel in what pertains to the security issue.

Is Iraq heading towards more “Lebanonization” after the elections?

Just as the Arab Sunnis benefit from their participation in the parliamentary elections instead of boycotting these elections and pursuing violence, their representation in power after the elections is one of the major problems. This reality is not altered by their choice to join the Iraqi Coalition headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, while the latter’s chances do not seem promising in the coming elections too, in a way that allows him to win the second rank in the elections.

The stances taken by the European Union on various Arab issues reveal the weak cohesiveness of European positions and the absence of a unified, strong and effective European diplomatic effort. If we examine the hot-issue items in the Arab world, we find the EU suffering from a lack of active diplomacy that can help in the solutions to the region’s problems. These days, the crisis between Libya and the EU is experiencing high tension, and we see, for example, European impotence with regard to what has happened between Switzerland and the family of Colonel Qaddhafi.

Iran does not miss an occasion to call the Arab Gulf countries to draft a joint security strategy. According to Tehran, this strategy is based on the fact that the region’s security should be in the hands of its countries, and that any foreign military presence in the region is rejected. It also calls for entrusting the Iranian forces with filling the ensuing gap. Thus, Iran invests billions of dollars to boost its military power, both in terms of its soldiers and equipment.

Today I intend to write about the losers. But before the reader ‘runs away’, I don’t mean Arabs and Muslims this time, but those who lost in the Oscars after being nominated for the awards. My motivation to do this is the fact that our newspaper and all other papers, along with TV networks around the world, decided to emphasize the winners, and I have nothing to add to what’s been published and broadcasted in that regard.

The Dutch Right-Wing politician Geert Wilders came to London last week. A year ago, he was banned from entry to Britain and was deported from the airport. He screened his film ‘Fitna’ in the House of Lords, and spoke about the Prophet Mohammed in a press conference, using words that I cannot even refer to, as they were a thousand times worse, or more vile, than the [Danish] cartoons, or than anything mentioned in the book ‘the Satanic Verses’.

There are still Iraqis in Iraq. This has been proven by the recent parliamentary elections, which saw all of the political leaders forced to form broadly-based candidate lists, representing the spectrum of sectarian and religious groupings. The senior Shiite religious authorities were notable for taking a neutral stance, which allowed secular voters to vote in Najaf and Karbala, despite their being branded as Baathists.

Washington-On the eve of his highly anticipated trip to the Middle East, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden emphasized in an interview with Al-Hayat the need for “bold steps” from Palestinians and Israelis to make progress on the Peace Process, and promised a “sustained and active” American role in the upcoming proximity negotiations. Mr. Biden talked about the lack of trust for the Iranian leadership and expected from China, a member of the P5+1, to “fulfill its responsibilities” on the issue of sanctions.

What is this scandal? It is a horrific and shameful scene, a new chapter in the assassination operation – by Iraqi hands this time. What is this turmoil? Convoys and slogans and announcements… The world is entertaining itself by covering these images, along with the smiles and the conjecture. Analysts speak about lists and turbans; about the race between religious people, seculars, and Communists; about local, tribal and party alliances and regional sympathies.