National Security Adviser Jim Jones is getting out more — and this is an excellent thing. He recently reinforced the Obama administration’s commitment to an active role in Israel-Palestine issues at the annual gala dinner of the American Task Force on Palestine.

Yesterday in the Financial Times, Mort Zuckerman suggested that short of a massive government intervention, America was not going to produce anywhere near the number of jobs that needed to be generated — even as it comes out of recession.

I am back in Washington after a long journey back from Damascus and Amman. In the next two days, we hope to have the entire video interview I did with Hamas leader Khaled Mashal ready for viewing. More soon.

To discuss the U.S.-China marriage and its future prospects, the New America Foundation/American Strategy Program will host an event TODAY Monday, October 19 from 12:15pm – 1:45pm.

This is a guest note by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett. Flynt directs the New America Foundation/Iran Project and is a former Senior Director of Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council. Hillary is chairman of Stratega, a political risk consultancy. They are co-publishers of the new blog, The Race for Iran.

AMMAN, JORDAN — On Saturday, 17 October, I interviewed Hamas leader Khaled Mashal on a range of subjects at his offices in Damascus, Syria. The full interview is currently being edited and will be released first at a new blog, The Palestine Note and will then appear here at TWN.

The idea of being attached to a Siamese twin you’re not particularly fond of is a fairly horrifying one to say the least. Yet for the past decade or more, this is exactly the predicament in which the U.S. and China have found themselves.

Jonathan Guyer is a program associate at the New America Foundation/Middle East Task Force.

Amman, Jordan — I have just learned through credible sources that the Cairo-brokered reconciliation deal between the Palestinian political parties Fatah and Hamas, while officially delayed at the moment, will get a course correction tomorrow.

I’ve been in Amman, Jordan for less than a day — and the swirl of conflicting emotions here from nearly anyone I have spoken to about the United States is important to note.