Immediately following Fethullah Gulen’s acquittal in Turkey by the Supreme Court in June 24, Turkish media widely reported on the status of Fethullah Gulen’s case pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Reports in mainstream Turkish media stated that the federal court had ruled against Fethullah Gulen and in favor of the U.S. government agencies and that he faces imminent deportation. Court records reveal that the action remains pending and the court has not yet entered a decision on the claims filed by Gulen. In fact briefs were submitted by both parties as recently as June 25, 2008.

Many of the press reports purported to summarize the court’s reasoning in denying Gulen’s claims, whereas a ruling is not expected for several months. These misrepresentations raise questions as to which circles were feeding this news to the media and to serve what purpose.

A more detailed report on Fethullah Gulen’s legal case in the U.S. will soon be published by MEMRI.

Source: Fethullah Gulen v. Michael Chertoff, Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, et al. [Case 2:07-cv-02148-SD]

The Iranian daily Kayhan, which is close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stated that the U.S. will not permit Israel to use Iraqi airspace to attack Iran, among other reasons because oil prices will jump to $200-250/bbl in the event of an attack.

The paper added that Turkey too will not allow its territory to be used for attacking Iran.

The paper also said that unlike Syria, Iran would not overlook an attack on it.

Iranian Defense Minister Mustafa Mohammed Najar said that Iran was ready for any possible attack, and that because U.S. troops were in Iraq they would be at risk in the event of an attack.

The London daily Al-Hayat reported that Iran's upper security echelons were taking the threats seriously and were preparing for a military response.

Sources: Kayhan, Iran, Al-Hayat, London, June 30, 2008; IRNA, Iran, June 29, 2008

Hamas sources told the London daily Al-Hayat that Egypt would soon assemble a committee including the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and European representatives that would determine ways to operate the Rafah crossing.

The sources said that "the Europeans don't object to Hamas's presence at the crossing."

Source: Al-Hayat, London, June 30, 2008

Cartoonist: Habeeb Haddad

Source: Al-Hayat, London, June 28, 2008

Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad said of the appointment of a Jewish woman, Huda Nounou, as ambassador to the U.S. (see "Bahrain To Appoint Jewish Woman Ambassador To Washington") that this was not the first time that a non-Muslim resident of Bahrain was appointed to a senior post.

He said that Bahrain's standard for choosing candidates was ability, and that Nunu had proven that over her years of service.

He added that even a Hindu resident of Bahrain could hold a senior post, and that candidates of other religions must not be ruled out if they are properly qualified.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, June 30, 2008

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'alem met yesterday with U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert H. Serry, and told him that Syria would be willing to register its borders with Lebanon immediately after Israel withdrew from the Shaba'a Farms.

Source: Al-Watan, Syria, June 30, 2008

Ibrahim Al-Amin, editor of the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hizbullah, wrote in an article that despite the closure of the issue of the prisoners, a number of issues remained open.

The issues, he wrote, included the failure to hand over the maps of mines and cluster bombs, which constitutes a justified reason for the killing of Israeli soldiers and civilians; retaliation for the assassination of Hizbullah leader Imad Mughinya, which has not yet been carried out for operational reasons; and the violation of Lebanon's land, sea, and air sovereignty, which the resistance will defend at a heavy price.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, June 30, 2008

Iraqi Vice President Barham Salih has said that the Iraqi trend in the negotiations over the U.S.-Iraq long-term security agreement is to draw up an understanding regarding the "interim horizon" of the U.S. presence and not necessarily to set a detailed timetable.

In response to a question about whether the agreement would be declared in late July, as the Americans were demanding, he said, "We hope that we will arrive at understandings before this date... but if this cannot be done by the two parties it won't be the end of the world."

Source: Al-Hayat, London, June 29, 2008

Iraqi MP Sheikh Jalal Al-Din Al-Saghir has said that the Iraqi government won't give in to pressures on it and has already made a decision to expel the Mojahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO) within the next six months.

He added that at the end of this time, MKO members will be handed over to the Red Cross, which would expel them to some other country.

Source: Alnajafnews.net, June 28, 2008

On boulder: "Sanctions."

Cartoonist: Baqi Bukhalfa

Source: Al-Arab, Qatar, June 29, 2008