Morning Brief, Thursday, December 7

Iraq and the Middle East

Ten U.S. soldiers were killed yesterday in four separate incidents, on the same day that James Baker’s Iraq Study Group (ISG) released its findings.

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert pooh-poohed the ISG’s linkage of the Iraq War with the Arab-Israeli conflict. The ISG report has raised eyebrows among pro-Israel groups in the U.S. for its mention of the Palestinian “right of return,” which Olmert has consistently rejected. From Damascus, Hamas reiterated its position that the right of return is a deal-breaker.

Washington

The U.S. Senate confirmed Bob Gates as Donald Rumsfeld’s replacement. Find out what to expect from Gates in FP’s web exclusive.

Europe

British security officials say the U.K. is the top western target of a resurgent al-Qaeda, now regrouping in Pakistan for new and more sophisticated attacks.

Turkey, eager to keep the EU accession process going, will meet the EU partway over opening its ports to Cyprus. 

Elsewhere 

 
Life Water on Mars? Changes in the appearance of gullies on the red planet suggest that water may have flowed there within the past five years. NASA has photos and much more, including this podcast (mp3) explaining the findings.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a peace-keeping force of 8,000 African troops in Somalia in order to bolster the rump government against the Union of Islamic Courts (which controls Mogadishu). The U.N. fears that Ethiopia and Eritrea, bitter enemies, will take matters into their own hands unless it acts quickly.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida bought the Hard Rock Cafe chain from a British company for $965 million. 

Former Russian PM Yegor Gaider claims he was poisoned. Meanwhile, the British are treating the poisoning death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko as a murder.

Pearl Harbor survivors are gathering on Oahu for the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Hawaii. This may be the last time, given their age.