CNN 2011-05-24

First up today, deadly violence in Baghdad as a string of bombings hits the Iraqi capital. Fifteen explosions went off within hours of each other on Sunday. Iraqi authority said the mix of car bombs and roadside bombs killed at least 18 people and wounded at least 80 others. There's been an increase recently of violence in Iraq. That includes yesterday's attacks. It's raising some concerns about whether or not Iraqi security forces would be able to protect their own country. Britain pulled the last of its combat troops out of Iraq yesterday, and U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the start of next year, though Iraqi leaders might ask them to stay longer.

Just the Facts

There is a history of conflict between Israeli and Palestinian people. The areas at the center of that conflict are Gaza and West Bank. Israel took control of these areas in 1967 during the six-day Arab-Israeli War. Right now around 4 million Palestinians live in Gaza and West Bank.

For decades, there have been attempts to make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. President Obama tried to push for a new start to peace talks at a speech he gave last week. During that speech, he mentioned going back to the pre-1967 war borders, but with exchanges in land that both sides would agree on. The idea did not go over well with Israel's prime minister. Yesterday, President Obama explained what he meant when he gave a speech to AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He told the conference that the pre-1967 borders should be a starting point for negotiations 1, and that he expects Israelis and the Palestinians to work together to define new borders.

Part of the reason the U.S. is so involved in what's going on in Israel is that the two countries are very close allies. The U.S. has supported Israel since it was founded in 1948. But as B K explains, that friendship was pretty tense lately last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was about to leave for the U.S. when President Obama made the announcement that infuriated him.

We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps 3.

At the White House Friday, Netanyahu panned the proposal.

These lines are indefensible because they don't take into account, certain changes that have taken place on the ground, demographic changes that have taken place over the last 44 years.

After the initial war of words, the White House hoped the meeting would be a time to kiss and make up.

Obviously there are some differences between us, the precise formulations and language, and that's gonna happen between friends.

We have an enduring bond of friendship between our two countries.

But for all of the niceties, Netanyahu drew a line in the sand, and not only on a return to pre-1967 borders. He said Israel will not negotiate with the Palestinian government supported by Hamas or House of Palestinian refugees.

That's not gonna happen. Everybody knows it's not gonna happen, and I think it's time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly 4 that it's not gonna happen.

Despite tough words, the U.S. and Israel will remain allies, even past this rough spot. But the tension between the two leaders was palpable. After the President's meeting with Netanyahu, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was peppered with questions about the disagreement on the borders issue. He said the president made clear the pre-1967 border proposal is a starting point, that the mutual 2 swaps that would create the eventual 5 borders would be negotiated. The thing is, what the White House considers a starting point, Israel still considers a non-starter, even after the meeting. B K, CNN.Washington.