MIDEAST . . . MORE PEACE, FROM MOROCCO
Just when all the attention was on Syria and other peace refuseniks, Morocco became the second Arab country after Egypt to establish formal ties with Israel. The low-level diplomatic relations come after years of sketchy and often secret ties between the Jewish state and the North African country. Specifics of the arrangement sound a lot like the Israel-Jordan peace accord, with a strong focus on business interests. That's not surprising: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said the breakthrough came in part because Morocco, like Jordan, wants to join the march toward regional economic cooperation.