Gareth Jenkins, a journalist writing for conservative American think tank the Jamestown Foundation,’ has blasted the so-called Erkenegon case in Turkey recently. “There is little doubt that the Ergenekon investigation is rooted in fact. But what is alarming about the indictment is that it extrapolates from a kernel of truth through rumor, hearsay, unsubstantiated supposition and simple invention into the realms of fantasy,” Jenkins wrote in a paper on the Ergenekon case published Tuesday. (more…)

When it comes to energy, Senator John McCain is quite a Republican maverick. He has said that he ‘respects’ former Vice President Al Gore’s work on this subject, and that he ‘shares’ his (Gore’s) goals (energy independence, clean energy, and so on). (more…)

Via the Jerusalem Post comes the news that an Israeli official ‘close to [Israeli]
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the
prime minister will keep working towards a peace
agreement with the Palestinians until he leaves office.’ (more…)

Lanny J. Davis explains for the Wall Street Journal why Barack Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate. Firstly, Davis writes, Obama and his followers should keep in mind that ‘Sen. Clinton is the only Democrat who gives Sen. Obama a statistically significant boost in any national poll results.’ (more…)

Kemal wrote about the result of the closure case against Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) yesterday. As he pointed out, Turkey’s highest court ruled that, although some laws pushed through by the AK Parti were in breach with the secularism as established in the country’s constitution, there was not reason enough to close the party down now. (more…)

‘What to do with millions of illegal aliens in the US? The issue is still a sleeper in the presidential campaign. But maybe not for long. Americans who want strict law enforcement before a “total” immigration solution now have proof that stronger enforcement can bring results,’ the Christian Science Monitor opines. (more…)

Barack Obama and John McCain are both at risk; the one looks arrogant, the other negative and whiny. (more…)

According to Henry Kissinger, the situation in Iraq has changed so dramatically in the last couple of months that the political debate (between John McCain and Barack Obama) about this subject are nearly useless. (more…)

It’s been a couple weeks since I wrote my third party roundup.  Since then, the Green Party has officially chosen its President and Vice President, and the Reform Party has joined the game as well.  I highly recommend reading it, especially if you’re dissatisfied with the big two parties, or just want to know more information about what other parties are out there.

Although I’ve done this roundup, I’ve yet to do an in-depth analysis on the role of third parties in 2008 during my time here.  It is coming.

Sad but not surprising news from Somalia: as the kidnapping and murder of foreign aid workers continues to escalate, the poor and hungry people they went to help now face a growing humanitarian crisis. Via Africa News Search:

MOGADISHU, 07/28- By December this year, aid agencies estimate that the number of displaced and hungry people in need of life-saving aid in Somalia will swell to 3.5 million-nearly half the country`s population.| MORE ›