Yesterday, Bahrain postponed verdicts in the controversial trial of 13 high-profile opposition leaders until September 4. Their legal battle may be receiving little media attention, but it reveals much about the uncertain political scene in the strategically important country. Bahrain's government has not managed to use last year's famous inquiry by M. Cherif Bassiouni's commission to draw a line under the events of 2011. As a result, the public remains polarized, though more on political than on sectarian grounds, while the protest movement has survived the detention of key leaders. Meanwhile, the root causes of the uprising remain unaddressed, in the absence of a process of political dialogue and negotiation.

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The power struggle between Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Muslim Brother has been likened to the life and death struggle between the cobra and mongoose. In the event the analogy was misleading in that the conflict was relatively short and its outcome anti-climactic. The Muslim Brotherhood, apparently now led by President Mohamed Morsi, unceremoniously shunted Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and his officer entourage off to various forms of retirement without so much as a whimper in response.

Like Hosni Mubarak before him, Tantawi's seeming impregnable power had been based on the weak foundations of patronage and punishment, dished out in Tantawi's case to the officers under his command. Obviously aware of resentment and disaffection within the military, Tantawi, again similar to Mubarak, sought to repress it by draconian punishment of defectors, by ladling out ever larger doses of patronage, including salary increases, bonuses and yet more plum "secondment" sinecures, and by mobilizing dependent editors and publishers to suppress media criticism of him and the SCAF. Ultimately these tactics were to no avail. Mismanagement of the political transition added the insult of degradation of the military's reputation to the injury of its de-professionalization through more than two decades of Tantawi's command. Like the country as a whole as regards the Mubarak regime, the officer corps had finally had enough of the nature and the consequences of corrupt, patrimonial rule of the military.

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After Sunday's surprising move by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to unseat the country's top generals, analysts are debating Morsi's motivations and the ramifications of the reshuffling. Many said they believed Morsi had been planning the move, but siezed on the military's failures  in recent attacks on the Sinai as the opportunity for revamping what had been the ruling military council. Some saw it as a "soft coup" against the remnants of ousted President Hosni Mubarak's regime. Others suspect that the new president reached a deal with junior military leaders wishing to restore the armed forces' credibility while also ensuring the military's privileged position and enhancing their own careers. With the forced retirements of Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Anan, and the revocation of the constitutional declaration, Morsi solidified his executive and legislative powers, thereby shifting control from the military. Opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood dominated government have called for protests on August 24. 

Syria

Syria's Ex-Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab made his first public appearance since his defection to Jordan last week. At a televised news conference in Amman, Hijab said the regime of Bashar al-Assad is falling, stating, "The Syrian regime only controls 30 percent of Syria's territory. It has collapsed militarily, economically, and morally." Meanwhile, new clashes were reported in Damascus and Aleppo, a day after opposition fighters downed a government fighter jet, raising questions over whether the opposition has the capability of challenging the regime's control of the sky. Conversely, the Syrian government insists a technical failure caused the jet to crash. The United States, Britain, and France have changed their policy on assisting the opposition shifting from a focus on the Syrian National Council (SNC) toward building direct links with separate internal opposition groups. The western countries are concerned over the SNC's inability to unite the opposition and fear funds have been diverted toward extremist Islamic groups. Some veteran Libyan rebels, who successfully fought to overthrown Muammar al-Qaddafi last year, are also offering their assistance to Syrian opposition groups, traveling to the war-torn country offering training and communications support. In aims to apply greater pressure on the Syrian regime to end violence, world Muslim leaders are meeting in Mecca to discuss suspending Syria from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Iran has maintained it is against the suspension.

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• Thousands of Tunisian women protested moves by the Islamist government they fear will restrict their rights, including referring to women in the draft constitution as "complementary to men."
• Prime Minister Netanyahu has appointed Avraham Dichter, former security minister and head of Israeli intelligence, as civil defense minister amid heightened concerns of an Israeli strike on Iran.
• Iran has opened up to foreign aid facing criticism that relief efforts have been inadequate for residents of northwestern Iran hit by two deadly earthquakes over the weekend.
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In his first major move to assert power, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi forced the retirement of several military leaders who have ruled since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. The most prominent was Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, de-facto leader after the revolution and defense minister under Mubarak for over 20 years. Tantawi's post had just been renewed last week. Also pushed out were Army Chief of Staff Sami Hafez Anan as well as the heads of the navy, air force, and air defense branches. Morsi also nullified a constitutional declaration issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) right before he took office that restricted his authority by empowering the military. On Sunday, he issued his own declaration, giving the president broad legislative and executive power, and possibly a decisive role in the drafting of Egypt's new constitution. Morsi gave a speech to defend the restructuring insisting, "I did not mean to send a negative message about anyone, but my aim was the benefit of this nation and its people." There are unconfirmed reports he made the move after consultation with the military leaders, and there was no immediate challenge from the SCAF. Morsi's action has shifted the power of government from military to civilian for the first time in 60 years, but some critics are concerned it will lead to Islamist domination of the government.

Syria

Fighting continues in Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs as the Syrian opposition pushes for an internationally controlled no fly zone. The escalation of violence in Aleppo has forced U.N. monitors to leave the city as the United Nations has decided to remove one third of its observers ahead of a mandated expiring at the end of August. At the same time, heavy shelling has resumed in Damascus along with army raids. Opposition forces have for the first time claimed to have shot down a Syrian fighter jet on Monday in Deir al-Zour. The account has not been verified, but could signal a shift in a conflict defined by a striking gap in military might. Head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Abdel Basset Saida, is calling for a no-fly zone on the borders with Jordan and Turkey, saying it is "an essential thing that would confirm to the regime that its power is diminishing bit by bit." His remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and said the two countries were discussing a range of options for aiding the opposition, including a no-fly zone; but nothing has been decided. Meanwhile, two journalists have reportedly been killed in Syria. Ali Abbas of the Syrian state news agency, SANA, was reported killed by an "armed terrorist group." Al-Arabiya additionally claimed that Bara'a Yusuf al-Bushi, a Syrian army defector was killed in a bombing in a northern suburb of Damascus.  

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• Iranian relief efforts have been criticized after two large earthquakes hit the East Azerbaijan province on Saturday, killing 306 people and injuring thousands.
• Libyan General Mohamed Hadi al-Feitouri, who served under Muammar al-Qaddafi but was one of the first to defect, was killed on Friday in Benghazi.
• Nineteen U.S. Congresspeople have written to Bahrain's king pushing for the release of imprisoned human rights activist Nabeel Rajab.
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The day after coming to power, Libya's general national congress has elected National Front Party head Mohammed Yussef Magarief as Libya's new president. Magarief, a moderate Islamist, was a long-time opponent of former President Muammar al-Qaddafi who ruled Libya for 42 years. Magarief established the National Front for the Salvation of Libya in 1981 and lived in exile for many years. The movement made many attempts to overthrow Qaddafi, including several assassination plots. Magarief was selected after winning 113 votes. He defeated Ali Zidan, an independent opposition leader and human rights lawyer. As president, he will head the 200-member congress, which will hold legislative power, appoint a prime minister, and lead the country to full parliamentary elections after the drafting of a new constitution next year.

Syria

The Syrian Army's ground offensive in Aleppo has continued for the third day as the battle moves to new neighborhoods. Fighting has become fiercer as the opposition receives more weapons, some through Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Syrian army has introduced MiG fighter jets and increased the use of attack helicopters. Britain's Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has committed an additional $8 million in non-lethal aid to the Free Syrian Army, including medical supplies, communication equipment, and portable power generators. This is on top of about $43 million allocated toward humanitarian assistance for Syria and refugees housed by neighboring countries. Hague insisted that the Syrian people need "urgent help" and "cannot wait indefinitely" for a peaceful resolution to what has progressed into a 17-month long conflict. Meanwhile, United Nations officials have said that former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi is a strong candidate to succeed Kofi Annan when he steps down at the end of August as international envoy to Syria. Brahimi is known for developing a report in 2000 suggesting a major overhaul of U.N. peacekeeping operations, known as the Brahimi Report. He was integral in post conflict transitions in South Africa, which brought Nelson Mandela to power, and Iraq, assembling an interim government after the fall of Saddam Hussein. A selection could come as early as next week.

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• Bedouin tribes have agreed to support Egyptian operations in the Sinai region. The government claims it has arrested six "terrorists" after an attack this week killed 16 guards.
• Nepal has banned women under 30-years old from working in the Middle East over fears they will be exploited.
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In a ceremony in Tripoli, Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) handed over power to the newly elected 200-member general national congress in the first peaceful transfer of power in Libya's modern history. The NTC took the reins 10 months ago after the ouster and death of Muammar al-Qaddafi. The body has now been dissolved. NTC head Mustafa Abdul Jalil acknowledged the NTC's inability to restore security in Libya, as fighting continues between militia groups, but noted that the body ruled in "exceptional times." Violence has particularly increased over the past week, including a car bomb near the military police offices in Tripoli, an explosion at the empty former military intelligence offices in Benghazi, and an attack on a Red Cross compound. Of the 200 seats in the congress, 120 are held by independents, while 39 of the 80 seats available to parties went to wartime opposition Prime Minister Mahmoud Jabrili's National Forces Alliance. The political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Justice and Building Party, has 17 seats. The new assembly held its first meeting directly after the ceremony. Its first task is to select a prime minister, who will appoint a cabinet. The congress will have legislative powers, but it is uncertain if it will choose a 60-member panel that will draft a new constitution, or if the panel will be directly elected. 

Syria

Syrian government forces have continued a ground offensive on Aleppo for the second day as the opposition has suffered  heavy losses. Opposition fighters said they have gained some territory in Syria's largest city, but have strategically withdrawn from other areas. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) announced a "tactical" retreat from the highly contested Salahedinne district. Accounts varied with some saying the FSA had completely withdrawn, while commander of the Dara al-Shahbaa Brigade Hossam Abu Mohammed said the FSA has only withdrawn from two streets moving to the Sukari district to launch a counter attack. The Syrian army hit several other neighborhoods with heavy shelling and helicopter gunfire as well as some suburbs in what an opposition activist described as the worst violence in Aleppo since the beginning of the uprising. Meanwhile, in efforts to project business as usual, President Bashar al-Assad appointed a new prime minister, without mentioning the previous premier, Riyad Farid Hijab, who defected to Jordan. Hijab will be replaced by Wael Nader al-Halqi, a Sunni Muslim and Baath party leader who held the position of minister of health. Iran has announced it will host a summit on Syria in Tehran on Thursday, but has not yet  released who would participate, just hours before the start. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi merely stated that "12 to 13 countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America" would take part. Russia said it would be sending its ambassador, while Lebanon and Kuwait said they would not attend.

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• Egypt has sent major reinforcements into the Sinai Peninsula to the outskirts of Arish where violent clashes broke out near a police station.
• A car bomb in Iraq killed 11 Shiite Muslims gathering for a Ramadan religious ceremony and wounded 40 others in the town of Suwayrah, 25 miles south of Baghdad.
• Suspected Kurdish militants attacked a military bus in western Turkey killing a soldier and injuring an estimated 11 people. The separatist group has been building strength in Syria.
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Jordan wants the United States to believe that Islamists, headlined by the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic Action Front (IAF) party, are the most dangerous opposition in the kingdom. Yet this is pure fiction, a ruse that exploits Western fears of an Islamist takeover while justifying the authoritarian monarchy's preference for shallow political reforms cloaked in the language of democracy. In truth, nearly two years of protests have exposed the more perilous threat to the Hashemite kingship to be a new generation of tribal opposition. Led by popular youth movements, these grass-roots activists demand that King Abdullah honor past promises to deliver true change, such as a fairer elections law and the elimination of corruption. Left unattended, this unprecedented wave of dissent will create a major crisis for the regime.

Tribal youth opposition began in February 2011, when demonstrations rocked the small town of Dhiban. These groups have since mobilized hundreds of protest events on a weekly basis, including dabke song-and-dance performances, impromptu street protests drawing dozens of people, organized marches attracting hundreds, and contentious acts like blocking highways and harassing government motorcades. That such agitation has spread across Jordan's rural governorates, where many tribal communities reside, flies in the face of academic stereotypes. Whereas urban opposition groups like the IAF draw strength from the Palestinian majority, concentrated in sprawling Amman, the East Bank minority, exemplified by the tribes, is supposed to be the regime's loyal bedrock. The reality is more complex. Tribal youth activists respect the institution of monarchy, but they have lost trust in this monarch and all of his appointed cabinets. Amman may still be a hotbed of opposition, but the most spirited Friday protests now erupt in the northern and southern tribal areas outside the capital.

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Unidentified gunmen attacked an Egyptian army checkpoint in the northern Sinai Peninsula on Sunday, killing 15 soldiers and wounding seven others. The gunmen proceeded to steal at least one armored vehicle and attempted to storm the Israeli border. Israeli Air Forces hit one vehicle at the Kerem Shalom border crossing at the southern edge of the Gaza Strip and said another vehicle had exploded. Violence has escalated in the Sinai region since Egypt's 2011 uprising raising concerns over the new government's ability to control over the area. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi condemned the attack saying, "There's no room to appease this treachery, this aggression and this criminality," continuing that Egyptian forces would gain "full control" over the area and promising "those behind the attacks will pay a high price." An Egyptian official blamed the attack on "Jihadist elements" and the Egyptian military called the attackers "infidels" saying there would be a reaction to the assault soon. Relations between Israel and Egypt have been fragile since the election of the Islamist Morsi, as Israel as been particularly concerned the new government will contrast that of Hosni Mubarak who had cooperated with Israel and abided by the 1979 peace agreement.

Syria

Syrian Prime Minster Riyad Farid Hijab has defected from the Syrian regime and has reportedly crossed into Jordan with his family. Syrian state television, SANA, claimed Hijab had been fired, but an official source stated he had been let go only after he had defected. According to the opposition Syrian National Council, Hijab was accompanied by two ministers and three army generals. If reports are verified, Hijab would be the highest level defection in the 17 month conflict. Meanwhile, a bomb exploded at a Syrian state TV and radio building in Damascus, wounding three people. The broadcasting was not disrupted. Additionally, Syrian opposition forces captured 48 Iranians as they were traveling through Damascus on a bus on Saturday. Iran has requested help from Turkey and Qatar for the return of men who Iran insists were religious pilgrims. The Syrian opposition claimed the group had been conducting surveillance in Syria's capital and said they had found evidence that one of the Iranians has ties to the Revolutionary Guards. Violent clashes continued throughout the weekend across Syria, killing an estimated 260 people, primarily in Damascus and Aleppo.

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• Libya's Red Cross is suspending activity in Benghazi and Misrata after an attack on Sunday on a staff residence.
• Clashes spurred by a Kurdish militant attack on an army outpost in Turkey's Hakkari province killed at least 19 people as Turkish forces have stepped up operations against Kurdish militants in the past two weeks.
• A suicide bomber killed 45 people and wounded dozens in Yemen's southern city of Jaar.
• Libya's National Transitional Council will hand over power to the recently elected 200-member national assembly on August 8.
• Iranian state television broadcasted the "confessions" of several Iranians from a group of 13 to the killing of four Iranian nuclear scientists and implicated the United States and Israel.
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President Mohamed Morsi swore in his first cabinet on Thursday, marking another major milestone in Egypt's transition since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak last year. However, since some appointees are holdovers from the military government and longtime state employees, many are disappointed that promises of change in governance have come up short. Morsi and recently appointed Prime Minister Hisham Qandil have selected 35 ministers, 29 of whom are technocrats, and failed to appoint many members of various political factions, straying from commitments to form a unity government. Qandil appointed four ministers from the Muslim Brotherhood, including the minister of information. He did not challenge the power of the military keeping the Supreme Council of the Armed Force's Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi in the post of defense minister. The only appointment seen as "revolutionary" was that of longtime advocate for judicial independence, Judge Ahmed Mekky, to the post of justice minister.

Syria

United Nations and Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan has resigned stating lack of international unity and support, increased militarization, and lack of commitment to a political solution to the seemingly intractable conflict. His resignation came before a vote in the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that would reprimand the Syrian government for the use of heavy weapons in primarily a symbolic gesture to put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad as well as condemn the U.N. Security Council for failing to act to put an end to 17 months of violence. Further demonstrating lack of international unity, British Foreign Minister William Hague has committed more assistance to the Syrian opposition while Russia is reportedly sending three warships and 360 marines to the Syrian port of Tartus. It is unknown if the troops will remain in Syria, or if they plan to evacuate Russian citizens currently in the country, numbering around 30,000. Meanwhile, fighting continues in Aleppo as the United Nations predicts an imminent massive government assault on the city. The Syrian government has attacked opposition held areas with helicopter fire and heavy artillery, but the military has been building-up outside Aleppo seemingly preparing for a major bombardment. At the same time, 50 people were reportedly killed in clashes in Hama, and an estimated 21 civilians died in the shelling of Yamouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.

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• At least 12 people were killed in a series of attacks across Iraq, including twin bombings and two strikes on security officials in Baghdad, and an assault on a family in Kirkuk.
• An Italian embassy guard abducted over the weekend in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, was released unharmed after "tribal mediation" on Thursday.
• Turkish warplanes struck Kurdish militant held areas along the borders with Iran and Iraq after two weeks of clashes.  
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An estimated 21 people were killed in two car bomb explosions in Baghdad as violence approaches a two-year peak. The explosions, at least one of which was a suicide bombing, took place within minutes of each other during the busy afternoon rush hour in Baghdad's central Shiite district of Karrada. The first hit outside a restaurant while the second exploded outside a court across from a police headquarters, killing six policemen. Tuesday's attacks brought July's death toll over 240, with the interior ministry claiming 325 people have been killed, which would make July the most violent month in Iraq since August 2010. Violence increased after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, announced a new campaign to recover territory lost before the U.S. departure in December 2011. Iraqi officials claim al Qaeda lacks the strength it had in 2006 and 2007, but is still capable of significant attacks and causing mass casualties.  

Syria

In a rare written statement relayed by Syria's official news agency, SANA, in commemoration of the 67^th anniversary of the founding of the Syrian army, President Bashar al-Assad appealed to troops fighting what he called a "crucial and heroic battle." He praised soldiers for defending against "armed terrorist gangs" and said "The fate of our people and our nation, past, present and future, depends on this battle." Assad has not made a public statement since a July 18 bombing in Damascus killed four close security officials, and his location remains unknown. The remarks came a day after the Syrian opposition claimed control of at least two significant police stations in Aleppo, where opposition forces have held ground for 11 days of fierce clashes. Some of the heaviest fighting continues to be concentrated in the Salaheddine district of Aleppo, where neither side has taken control. Amateur video appears to show opposition forces capturing pro-Assad militia in Aleppo, while other footage shows what appears to be opposition fighters carrying out summary executions in Aleppo, similar to the atrocities government forces were accused of carrying out in Damascus.

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• Bulgarian police released a composite image of the suspect of a suicide bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a bus driver July 18, but have been unable to identify the man. 
• U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is meeting Israeli officials after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted he would make the decision on a strike on Iran, despite military opposition.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is meeting with the president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region over increasing concerns of Kurdish militants gaining territory in northern Syria.
• At least 15 people died in clashes between supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and policemen outside Yemen's Interior Ministry in the capital, Sanaa.
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During the last 18 months, Syria's leadership class has made almost every mistake in the book. The regime has no respect for or indeed understanding of basic governing concepts except those defined by the use of force. Its heavy hand transformed disparate, limited, local acts of disobedience energized by economic discontent into a national, sectarian revolt against the ruling Ba'ath Party and increasingly against the minority Alawite community at the Party's center. In this context, the regime's efforts at political reform, while unprecedented, have been overwhelmed by an exploding but still manageable challenge to the regime itself, which now must reap the fruits of its own grievous shortcomings.

The shortcomings of the regime have been more than matched by those defining the opposition. Syria's political class has failed to cast off the burdens of its own history. The serial coups of the 40s and 50s and 60s highlighted the inability of Syria's political leadership to rule effectively. Today's "opposition" -- a description that suggests a clarity and unity of purpose that is all but entirely absent -- remains a factionalized, personality-driven, almost apolitical assembly of  aspiring Peróns operating outside the growing circle of conflict in the country itself. They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing of their sorry history.

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Clashes between militants and Iraqi forces killed 19 people, including 11 policemen, and downed an army helicopter. The fighting reportedly began late Tuesday with an attack on a security checkpoint near Hadid, in the predominantly Sunni province of Diyala, and continued through Thursday when militants opened fire on a surveillance helicopter. Blaer Hassan, a Diyala security official, said, "This is a setback because we are worried about the capacity of Iraqi forces in the face of the growing strength of al Qaeda." While the identities of the militants are unknown, the assault appeared to be part of an al Qaeda campaign to reclaim territory lost in the U.S. 2003 invasion. Last week, Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released a statement online about the strategy, called "Breaking the Walls." A day after the announcement al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate, Islamic State of Iraq, unleashed a wave of attacks that killed up to 116 people and wounded hundreds.

Syria

The Syrian regime has renewed attacks on parts of Damascus as clashes continue in several districts of Aleppo. Assad's forces appear to be preparing to invade the city. The United States expressed fears of the possibility of mass casualties with a regime invasion of Aleppo. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said there is "concern that we will see a massacre in Aleppo, and that's what the regime appears to be lining up for." She maintained that there would be no U.S. military intervention saying they didn't want to pour "more fuel onto the fire." However, Reuters learned of a presidential directive that would authorize greater covert assistance for the opposition, but still would not supply them with arms. It is not clear if President Barack Obama has signed the document. Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Iklhas Badawi, elected in May to represent Aleppo in what was considered by many to be a sham election, has defected and reportedly crossed into Turkey. She said she defected "from this tyrannical regime ... because of the repression and savage torture against a nation demanding the minimum of rights." If confirmed, Badawi would be the first parliamentarian to defect.

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• Israel's Supreme Court has extended the deadline for the eviction of Migron, the largest unsanctioned West Bank settlement, over protest concerns during Ramadan and because temporary housing is not completed.
• Hamas's leader in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniya, has met with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi days after Egypt eased visa requirements for Gazans under 40 years old.
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Fighting in Damascus has decreaesd as government troops regain control of the capital. Clashes continue for the fifth day in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an estimated 120 people were killed on Tuesday, most of whom were in Aleppo where regime forces have been fighting the opposition with helicopter gunships and heavy artillery as well as warplanes, which would be the first instance of such aerial bombings in the conflict. The Syrian government is moving thousands of troops from Idlib province toward Aleppo. Clashes were initially limited to the poor, southern neighborhood of Saleheddin but have spread throughout the city, particularly to Bab al-Hadeed near Aleppo's historic old city. Syrian forces hit the opposition-held Damascus suburb of al-Tel, firing artillery and rockets on Wednesday forcing hundreds of families to flee. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported there is increasing evidence of al Qaeda's involvement in the Syrian conflict, which has been conducting more suicide bombings. Turkey announced on Wednesday that it is closing its 566-mile border with Syria as the conflict escalated and after armed men seized and looted dozens of Turkish trucks at the Bab al-Hawa crossing last week. The move will cut off an integral supply route into Syria, but refugees fleeing Syria will still be permitted to enter Turkey. Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Manaf Tlass has confirmed his defection in a broadcast on Al Arabiya from France. He called for a united "free and democratic Syria." Additionally, two top Syrian diplomats have defected from their posts in the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus.

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• President Mahmoud Amadinejad has announced that Iran is increasing uranium enrichment despite international pressure and recently escalated U.S. and EU sanctions.
• Bulgaria's prime minister said the identity of the suicide bomber who killed five Israelis and a bus driver last week remains unclear, but was part of a group of "exceptionally skilled" conspirators.
• The Islamic State of Iraq, an al Qaeda affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the series of attacks across Iraq on Monday that killed an estimated 116 people and injured hundreds.
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Recently elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has appointed Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hisham Mohamed Qandil as prime minister. The announcement came after the Supreme Constitutional Court suspended Morsi's ruling to reinstate the Islamist majority parliament that had been dissolved prior to the final round of presidential elections. The appointment of Qandil, who is not well known outside of the country, has disappointed many who expected Morsi to appoint an economist, considering Egypt's economic challenges. Mohamed Radwan from Pharos Securities said, "This is quite a surprise as most of the names put around had been from the financial sector. The market is definitely reacting negatively." Morsi touted Qandil as an "independent patriot" who has not belonged to any political party, either before or since the revolution. He has a PhD from the University of North Carolina in irrigation and has worked in water and engineering, as well as finance as the senior manager for the African Development Bank. At the age of 50, he will be Egypt's youngest prime minister.  

Syria

Fierce clashes continue for the fourth day in Aleppo as the Syrian government regained control over most of Damascus. The opposition launched a major offensive for Syria's largest city and commercial center over the weekend. The government has retaliated with heavy shelling, rocket fire, and helicopter fire. Syrian troops quelled a prison riot overnight in the outskirts of Aleppo reportedly opening fire and killing up to 15 people. Clashes have also been reported in a Homs prison where prisoners have staged a sit-in and policemen have allegedly defected. Meanwhile, international leaders reacted to Syria's announcement Monday that they would use chemical weapons against a foreign intervention, in what was the most "direct confirmation" that the Syrian government has a chemical weapons stockpile. U.S. President Barack Obama warned Syria that the use of chemical weapons would be a "tragic mistake" and the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said it would be "reprehensible." The opposition Free Syrian Army has reported the regime has moved the chemical weapons to airports along the border.

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• Iraq has blacklisted Chevron, a U.S. energy corporation, and barred it from signing any new oil deals after it purchased stakes in Kurdistan.
• Egypt has eased border restrictions for Palestinians traveling to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
• Gunmen released Libya's Olympic chief after abducting him a week ago in Tripoli.
• Israel's Defense Ministry has petitioned the Supreme Court to remove and relocate 1,500 Palestinians living among eight hamlets so that they can use the area for military exercises.
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