Today's Haaretz had a good article about recent developments in the peace process, especially on how the weakened PA is planning to go about gaining power from the militants. The U.S. and Europe have reportedly given money to Muhammad Dahlan to buy weapons from al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fighters at twice the price of the black market, as well as money to pay each $6000 to leave the AMB and join PA security. According to the paper, the average teacher in the territories makes about $330 a month and unemployment is over 50%, so it is a major offer. However, there exists the danger that people will simply see it as a plot to disarm them without the PA getting anything in return. As it stands the settlements Israel is abandoning are mostly empty, so the PA is having to offer up a lot for a little.

Buried in this Orin Kerr post to the Volokh Conspiracy is an example of the complexity of nation-building: Food aid devalues Iraqi crops hurting farmers. Juan Cole also refers to the imminent health crisis in that country. I wonder how much the current situation in Baghdad resembles that in Damascus at the end of Lawrence of Arabia.

This afternoon at about 1:15 someone from Quincy University made hit #1000 on this blog, one day after a new record was set with 34 hits in a day, especially interesting because there were no permalinks from major bloggers. Thanks for visiting!