With the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri and government attacks of his memorial services, violent protest has returned to Iran. On onse side is the hardline religious government, on the other, the Green Movement, which gained notice for its protests of the 2009 Iranian election.

With the return of open defiance in Iran, there's specualation on whether the current Iranian regime will survive.

Afghans head to the polls this week for Presidential elections. Though President Hamid Karzai is expected to win, he may be facing a run off, leading to several possibilities, from a runoff to violence.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former President of Iran and Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, made a speech today at Friday prayers. He criticized the current regime and the way it handled the disputed election and the repression of protestors.

Demonstrators and police clashed before and after the speech.

Sticking to the SOFA agreement, American forces are withdrawing from Iraqi cities to rural bases, as Dick Cheney and others raise concerns about a potential rise and violence. The Iraqi's themselves are pretty jubilant, turning the day into a festive national holiday.

Going forward, the most contentious issue facing Iraq isn't Al Qaeda, but the "Kurdish Question". The Kurdish people reside mostly in northern Iraq, on top of huge oil reserves which they feel belongs to them and the nation of Kurdistan. Baghdad obviously disagrees and with the U.S. drawing down its role and buffer between the two regions, Baghdad's surprising toughness towards negotiating with oil companies, the issue will be become a major focus in the future.

After months of debate, fanfare and tensions; candidate approval (and rejection) by the Guardian Council, former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi faces off against the current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as Iranians will finally cast their vote for President.    Continues...

The Pro-Western March 14 Alliance has won a majority of seats in the Lebanese general election, insuring that the Iranian and Syrian influenced Hezbollah won't be running the country. Obama's recent speech in Cairo is getting some credit for the victory, but its real effect is unknown.

Though it lost, Hezzbollah still retains power in the country and the majority coalition has to decide whether the Hezzbollah will have minority veto power, allowing them to bring legislation to a standstill.

Obama headed to Saudi Arabia and Egypt to talk with leaders and give aspeech at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. The speech is a sort of open letter to the Muslim (or is it the Arab) world where the President hopes to open a door to make room for better relations with America and the world. In Saudi Arabia, people are wary but hopeful

Urban, middle class voters in Iran are making use of cellphones and the internet encourage others to vote against current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his policies. The government is starting to get bit rattled, especially since many urban voters boycotted the 2005 election, allowing Ahmadinejad's rural base to put him in office.

How rattled is the current government? They shut off access to Facebook on May 23, only to relent 3 days later after complaints from some candidates.

Lebanon will be holding parliamentary elections on June 7, and Hezbollah, called a terrorist organization by the U.S., but seen as a resistance movement among many Arabs and Muslims, is in a tight race to officially lead the country. U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have visited the country recently, to help the pro West coalition and blunt Iran and its ties to Hezbollah from increasing their influence in the region.

A look at Mahmound Ahamdinejad, President of Iraq in the context of the changed administration in America and the upcoming Iranian elections in June. Or just read Ahamdinejad's blog.

In an unprecedented move, the Obama administration is readying for a possible confrontation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by briefing Democratic congressmen on the peace process and the positions of the new government in Israel regarding a two-state solution.

from the NYT: Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud Party, was invited by Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, on Friday to take the lead in assembling the next government.

He's invited Livni to accept a post in the new government, but she's not biting.

World View discussion re Avigdor Lieberman.

Obama camp 'prepared to talk to Hamas': Incoming administration will abandon Bush's isolation of Islamist group to initiate low-level diplomacy, say transition sources

The February elections in Israel and the end of the current Palestinian president's term in January are escalating the current conflict.

Tzipi Livni (Israel's Barack Obama) inches closer to becoming Israel's Prime Minister. Whatever happens next, there's a tough road ahead.