Iran Blames US for Lack of Nuke Response24 Feb 2008Summary: VIENNA, Austria (AP ? A senior Iranian official blamed the U.S. Sunday for Tehran’s refusal to respond to accusations it tried to make nuclear weapons, claiming information provided by Washington was not only fake but came too late for a proper review. source: APread more
Nukes and Rumors of Nukes24 Feb 2008Summary: There has been speculation that this NCRI intelligence originated with the Israelis, was then supplied, last year, to the United States, who, last month, supplied it to the IAEA, urging the IAEA to present it to Iran for “explanation.” source: Anti War.Comread more
Letter to US Congress and Senate: Stop funding this war24 Feb 2008Summary: I am appalled at the rubber stamp our representatives have become for the Oval Office. I did not cast my votes for liberals so that they could continue to fund Mr. Bush’s war of aggression against Iraq. source: CASMIIread more
The new invasion of Iraq23 Feb 2008Summary: Iraqi KurdistanA new crisis has exploded in Iraq after Turkish troops, supported by attack planes and Cobra helicopters, yesterday launched a major ground offensive into Iraqi Kurdistan. source: Independentread more
Iran says ‘no legal basis’ for new UN nuclear resolution23 Feb 2008Summary: Security CouncilIran sees no legal basis for a new UN resolution against Tehran over its nuclear activities as the world body is set to discuss new sanctions, a top security official said on Saturday. source: AFPread more
IAEA’s report on Iran22 Feb 2008Summary: “The Agency has been able to conclude that answers provided by Iran, in accordance with the work plan, are consistent with its findings ? in the case of the polonium-210 experiments and the Gchine mine ? or are not inconsistent with its findings ? in the case of the contamination at the technical university and the procurement activities of the former Head of PHRC. Therefore, the Agency considers those questions no longer outstanding at this stage. However, the Agency continues, in accordance with its procedures an source: Institute for Science and International Securityread more
Iran says IAEA report provides more evidence vindicating its nuclear program22 Feb 2008Summary: The 11-page IAEA report released Friday gave Iran a relative clean bill of health on explaining the origin of traces of enriched uranium in a military facility; experiments with polonium, which can also be used in a weapons program, and purchases on the nuclear black market. source: APread more
Iran expects positive IAEA nuclear report22 Feb 2008Summary: Iran expects a positive report on Friday from the U.N. nuclear watchdog showing its peaceful aims because of Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a senior Iranian official said. source: Reutersread more
Dear Americans21 Feb 2008Summary: What should be the future policy of the US toward Iran after the US secret services declared Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons? [...] Since a quarter of all states of the world are Islamic, would you champion religious and cultural tolerance and oppose a clash of civilizations with Islam? [...] Is the Charter of the United Nations binding international law? source: Die Zeitread more
Diplomacy for War21 Feb 2008Summary: Reuel Marc Gerecht’s opinion piece in the New York Times yesterday titled ‘Attack Iran, With Words’ advocating diplomacy with Iran may have taken some readers including this one by surprise given his resident fellowship credentials at the American Enterprise Institute. Not that there is anything new and earth shattering about the concept of engaging in dialog in order to resolve differences between nations. But is it possible that these people finally got a whiff of what the rest of us call ‘Common Sense’? source: CASMIIread more
Russian energy ties with Iran send U.S. a message21 Feb 2008Summary: DUBAI/MOSCOW (Reuters) – As the United States warns the world away from business with Tehran, Moscow’s tightening ties to Iran’s energy sector underline Russia’s differences with Washington over Iranian nuclear plans and Kosovo’s independence. source: Reutersread more
What would it take to launch a war with Iran?21 Feb 2008Summary: Iraq should have cured President George W. Bush of any further itch for starting a war. And yet there comes a rumble for an attack on Iran. Opposing this, the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation sends out emissaries, several of whom visited The Seattle Times. source: The Seattle Timesread more
A ?Grand Bargain? for Washington and Tehran20 Feb 2008Summary: The United States would need to recognize the Islamic Republic and establish diplomatic relations with it; acknowledge Iran?s role in the region; terminate Iran?s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism; lift U.S. unilateral sanctions; and commit not to use force to change Iran?s form of government, but on the contrary agree to begin an ongoing strategic dialogue with Tehran. source: Agence Globalread more
Disinformation flies as US raises Iran bar20 Feb 2008Summary: A new report on Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is about to be released and US “pre-emptive” diplomacy, aimed at preventing an IAEA “clean bill of health” that could derail Washington’s effort for a new round of UN sanctions on Iran, is at full throttle – with the timely help of disinformation. source: Asia Times Onlineread more
Nuclear plans are peaceful, says Larijani19 Feb 2008Summary: Ali LarijaniIran?s former top security official has said the United Nations watchdog investigating Tehran?s nuclear plans now has all the information it needs to establish that the programme is of a peaceful nature. source: Financial Timesread more
Pepe Escobar Comments on the US Candidates’ Foreign Policy Advisors18 Feb 2008Summary: What the whole world wants to know is who is going to be advising these pre-candidates, or then the two candidates, or then the next president of the US in terms of foreign policy. Is US foreign policy going to change in 2009? source: The Real Newsread more
Hopes for Better Iran Ties Lag18 Feb 2008Summary: WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Bush administration’s second-term gambit to remake the troubled U.S. relationship with Iran has run out of gas and time. source: APread more
Can the US Brace Its Fall?18 Feb 2008Summary: Not only have both Iraq and Afghanistan shown the world the limits of U.S. military power, but they are also exacting an increasingly fearsome toll on Washington’s ability to wage war. source: Anti War.Comread more
Counting Iraqi Casualties – and a Media Controversy17 Feb 2008Summary: One puzzling aspect of the news media?s coverage of the Iraq war is their squeamish treatment of Iraqi casualties. The scale of fatalities and wounded is a difficult number to calculate, but its importance should be obvious. Yet, apart from some rare and sporadic attention to mortality figures, the topic is virtually absent from the airwaves and news pages of America. This absence leaves the field to gross misunderstandings, ideological agendas, and political vendettas. source: Editor and Publisherread more
The illegitimacy of striking Iran16 Feb 2008Summary: There is no justification in international law for pre-emptive strikes of any nature, writes Perihan Abou Zeid.
Director general of the IAEA, Mohamed El-Baradei, has affirmed on many occasions the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. The point, however, is that even if Iran converted its peaceful nuclear programme to a military programme, international law would not justify the launching of a pre-emptive strike in the name of self-defence. source: Al-Ahram Weeklyread more
US, Iran Held Secret Talks16 Feb 2008Summary: Washington has boasted that the U.S. and existing U.N. sanctions, along with the task force warning, have taken a significant toll on Iran’s economy, particularly on its unemployment and inflation rates, and raised pressure on the government. source: APread more
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)