The latest news on Anger at Bonuses, Small Business, Income Inequality, Immigrants, Weapons Cuts, Nuclear Weapons, Russian Rearmament, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, El Salvador, Darfur, Zimbabwe, and Select Op-eds.

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Anger at bonuses. Rage at AIG Swells As Bonuses Go Out "A tidal wave of public outrage over bonus payments swamped American International Group yesterday. Hired guards stood watch outside the suburban Connecticut offices of AIG Financial Products, the division whose exotic derivatives brought the insurance giant to the brink of collapse last year." Obama in Effort to Undo Bonuses at AIG "President Obama and his top economic advisers scrambled to calm a nationwide furor on Monday over bonuses paid at the American International Group, even as administration officials acknowledged they had known about the issue for months." Obama to seek 'every legal avenue' to block AIG bonuses "President Barack Obama said Monday that he'll seek 'every single legal avenue' to block the payouts of $165 million in executive bonuses by American International Group, the insurance behemoth that taxpayers are spending billions to bail out."

Small business. Obama administration throws credit lifeline to small business "Working to jump-start the economy's engine of job creation, President Barack Obama announced Monday that the Treasury Department would spend up to $15 billion to boost lending to credit-hungry small businesses." Small businesses hope to benefit from stimulus plan "This most recent aid package is part of a push to get big banks to dole out their portion of the federal bailout money to small businesses, many of which are struggling."

Income inequality. Obama budget: restoring income equality in the U.S.? "Between 2003 and 2005, the economy and the Bush tax cuts redistributed $3,660 in pretax income on average from the bottom 109 million households to the remaining 4 million or so richest households."

Immigrants. Cities and counties rely on U.S. immigrant detention fees "At a time when local law enforcement agencies are being forced to cut budgets and freeze hiring, cities across Southern California have found a growing source of income -- immigration detention." Groups bash U.S. health care for detained immigrants "U.S. immigration authorities routinely delay, deny or botch medical care for immigrants in detention, according to separate reports by two advocacy groups released Tuesday."

Weapons cuts. Gates readies big cuts in weapons "As the only Bush Cabinet member to remain under President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is preparing the most far-reaching changes in the Pentagon's weapons portfolio since the end of the Cold War, according to aides."

Nuclear weapons. Brown pushes for world reduction in nuclear weapons as he makes Iran offer "The U.K. is to push for a new multilateral deal to reduce the number of nuclear weapons stockpiled around the world, Gordon Brown said today, as he pledged that Britain was 'ready' to reduce its own number of Trident warheads." Gordon Brown to offer Iran deal on nuclear power "Addressing an international conference in London, the Prime Minister will say that Iran represents a crucial 'test case' for the world as it prepares for a massive expansion in nuclear power to counter climate change." Brown signals move to cut nuclear arsenal "Britain is prepared to reduce its arsenal of nuclear weapons as part of a co-ordinated move with other nuclear states towards disarmament, Gordon Brown said today."

Russian rearmament. Russia announces rearmament plan "Mr. Medvedev said the primary task would be to 'increase the combat readiness of [Russia's] forces, first of all our strategic nuclear forces.'" Hawkish Medvedev orders Russia to rearm "President Medvedev ordered a major military rearmament today, warning that Russia faced the risk of 'significant conflict.'"

Afghanistan. Afghan war hits peak of disfavor "American support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low, as attacks on U.S. troops and their allies have hit record levels and commanders are pleading for reinforcements, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows." Taliban issued death threats to Afghan 'fixers' "Just weeks before the murder of an Afghan journalist who worked for Canadian media, the Taliban issued a spate of death threats to local reporters employed by Western news outlets in Kandahar, one of them says. Known as 'fixers,' such reporters arrange and sometimes conduct interviews and translation for outside media."

Pakistan. In Pakistan, Elation Over Restoration of Judges "They came carrying children and cakes, tootling bagpipes and pounding drums, waving banners from half a dozen political parties and wearing the garb of peasants and politicians." Pakistani Political Crisis Jeopardizes U.S. Regional Strategy "Pakistan's ongoing political crisis, the Obama administration's first real-time foreign policy emergency, threatens to upend a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy before it leaves the White House drawing board." Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari may become a figurehead "Now diplomats, analysts and ordinary Pakistanis are questioning whether Zardari, who seemed to have badly misread public opinion, will be able to hang on to his dual roles as head of state and leader of the Pakistan People's Party." Pakistan Avoids Pitfall, but Path Ahead Is Unclear "It was a signal moment in Pakistan's political development: A huge demonstration forced the restoration of a dismissed chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, a symbol of democracy and the rule of law. The army did not stage a coup, but insisted that the government accept a compromise."

Israel. Forming Coalition, Netanyahu Agrees to Make Nationalist Leader Foreign Minister "Israel's prime minister-designate, Benjamin Netanyahu, forged ahead on Monday with negotiations toward a probable narrow, hawkish government after his conservative Likud Party initialed its first coalition agreement with the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu Party led by Avigdor Lieberman." Israeli coalition government takes shape "Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultranationalist rhetoric has raised alarm among Arabs and international concern, took a major step Monday toward becoming foreign minister in Israel's next government." Lieberman tasked with Iran issue "The coalition agreement that the Likud signed with Israel Beiteinu at 1 a.m. on Monday not only makes party leader Avigdor Lieberman foreign minister, it also puts him in charge of Israel's strategic dialogue with the United States on issues such as Iran."

El Salvador. Next Salvadoran Leader Vows Moderate Rule "After winning a bitter presidential contest Sunday night, El Salvador's president-elect promised yesterday that he would serve as a moderate, open-minded leader who would work to improve economic conditions, lift the poor and heal lingering wounds in a country that fought a 12-year civil war." El Salvador's president strikes conciliatory note "Mauricio Funes, the leftist winner, acknowledges his narrow margin of victory and reaches out to the conservative leadership, which ran the country for two decades." El Salvador rebels in from the cold "The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), once targeted by the U.S. government as a threat to the world as we knew it, whose defeat was seen as being worth billions of dollars and thousands of lives, gains power."

Darfur. Camps in Darfur struggle with aid groups' exit "The U.N. and remaining aid groups are scrambling to bridge a shortfall in supplies and services after the Sudanese government expelled 13 groups in anger over an arrest warrant for President Bashir." Europeans Transfer Chad Mission to U.N. "On Sunday, in a spit-and-polish ceremony in Abéché, attended by the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchnr, as well as European politicians and United Nations officials, the Europeans transferred command to the United Nations."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's Anglicans defy riot police "Sebastian Bakare, the Anglican Bishop of Harare, ignored the riot policeman at the altar trying to disrupt his Sunday service, and carried on with worship. In front of the church's first full congregation for years Bishop Bakare told the representative of Zimbabwe's security services: 'If you want to attack me, I am in your hands.'"

Opinion. Rethink the Afghanistan surge (Eric T. Olson, Christian Science Monitor) "The beefed-up effort has been fueled by the belief that the successful surge in Iraq can be replicated in Afghanistan. It can't. I speak from experience: For a year, I was the operational commander for all coalition forces in Afghanistan." Unity and Clarity in Afghanistan (Thomas A. Schweich, special ambassador to Afghanistan during the Bush administration, Washington Post) "As the administration completes its strategic review of Afghanistan policy, I urge Democrats and Republicans, our allies abroad, and the Karzai government to come together on key points before it is too late:"