Direct talks between U.S.-Iran only realistic path7 Mar 2008Summary: The Bush administration has said it is willing to talk with Iran, but only after Iran stops enriching uranium. Such preconditions prevent any real progress. And by leaving open the possibility of a military attack, we are left with the specter of another war in the Middle East. source: Desmoinesregister.comread more
Operation Merlin II7 Mar 2008Summary: But what if CIA-Mossad hoped that the Iranians would at least put the Operation Merlin stuff into their files, perhaps even correcting the errors and building working prototypes, to be found by the IAEA at a later date, providing “evidence” that the Russians were helping the Iranians develop nuclear weapons? source: AntiWar.com read more
Fallon’s ‘No Iran War’ Line Angered White House7 Mar 2008Summary: Admiral FallonA new article on CENTCOM commander Adm. William Fallon confirms that his public statements last fall ruling out war against Iran last fall were not coordinated with the White House and landed him in trouble more than once with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. source: Anti-War.com read more
The losers’ game6 Mar 2008Summary: I have seen this game played before: as a chief inspector with the United Nations in Iraq, I participated in similar efforts to construct briefings composed of fragmentary sourcing of questionable quality. The end product, comprising visually-pleasing organisations charts, communications diagrams and procurement records, was used to brief the security council members in an effort to strengthen their resolve to confront a recalcitrant Iraq. source: The Guardianread more
The Iran hawks’ latest surge6 Mar 2008Summary: John McCainU.S. and Israeli hard-liners—some with close ties to John McCain—are once again hyping the Iranian nuclear threat. source: Salon.comread more
Iran sanctions vote signals a global rift5 Mar 2008Summary: There is an emerging rift between some of the world’s developing countries and the big developed powers at the forefront of the effort to impose punitive measures against Tehran. For countries like Indonesia, South Africa, and Libya, which questioned the timing of the new resolution, Iran’s claim of victimhood at the hands of arrogant world powers seeking to control access to vital and lucrative technologies may be starting to resonate. source: Christian Science Monitorread more
The Politics of Non-Proliferation5 Mar 2008Summary: If there was a time when Iranian analysts and decision makers would question the benefits of continuing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, it would be now. The IAEA has allowed systematic US intervention in Iran’s nuclear file paving the way to a third round of sanctions. But while US pressure on Iran with the knowledge that no evidence of a covert weapons programme exists, is perhaps in the hope that it will finally force Iran to leave the NPT in protest, Iran seems to be one step ahead and does e source: CASMIIread more
The Man Between War and Peace5 Mar 2008Summary: Admiral FallonAs head of U. S. Central Command, Admiral William “Fox” Fallon is in charge of American military strategy for the most troubled parts of the world. Now, as the White House has been escalating the war of words with Iran, and seeming ever more determined to strike militarily before the end of this presidency, the admiral has urged restraint and diplomacy. Who will prevail, the president or the admiral? Unlike the Bush Administration, Admiral William “Fox” Fallon, the head of U.S. Central Command, doesn’t think we should go to war with Iran. source: Esquireread more
UN Iran resolution disregarded IAEA - S.Africa5 Mar 2008Summary: Abdul MintySouth Africa expressed reservations on Wednesday about a U.N. resolution that imposed new sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear plans after voting for it. Addressing a meeting of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) governors in Vienna, Pretoria’s envoy Abdul Minty said the resolution’s sponsors failed to take into account progress made in resolving questions about Iran’s programme. source: Reuters read more
Sanctions against Iran not the best action4 Mar 2008Summary: Essentially, we are not convinced whether more sanctions, however incremental, well targeted and reversible, would move us forward in resolving the question of Iran’s nuclear programme, or whether it will only give potential negative impact at a time when progress is being made. source: The Jakarta Postread more
Iran says will only talk to IAEA on atomic file4 Mar 2008Summary: TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said on Wednesday it would only discuss its nuclear programme with the U.N. atomic watchdog, rejecting a call by world powers to hold more talks with the EU’s foreign policy chief. source: Reutersread more
The U.N. is escalating the Iran nuclear crisis4 Mar 2008Summary: Siddharth Varadarajan Astonishingly, the UNSC resolution takes virtually no notice of the fact that all outstanding issues which led to the Iran file being sent to New York in the first place have now been resolved. The demand, first made in 2006, that Iran suspend enrichment and reprocessing activity, was a derivative demand aimed at instilling confidence pending resolution of those outstanding issues. source: svaradarajan.blogspot.comread more
Patience Is the Best Iran Policy4 Mar 2008Summary: The current U.S. policy on Iran, as articulated by the Bush administration, centers its goals on the issue of regime change in Tehran; the nuclear dispute is simply used as a facilitator for isolating Iran economically and politically. This approach pollutes the credibility of any multilateral solution to the problem of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program endorsed by the United States, such as the current suspension demands of the Security Council, while making it virtually impossible for Iran to embrace any meaningful path toward moderation. source: AntiWar.com read more
Iran wants world ban on nuclear weapons3 Mar 2008Summary: MottakiIRAN wants to ban all nuclear weapons through an international treaty, the country’s foreign minister said at the UN’s Conference on Disarmament. source: Herald Sunread more
U.S. v. Iran: Running Out the Clock3 Mar 2008Summary: BurnsU.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, has made clear that the standoff will land on the desk of the next U.S. source: Timeread more
Russia, China Block UN Iran Resolution3 Mar 2008Summary: VIENNA, Austria (AP) ? Russia and China on Tuesday scuttled a Western attempt to introduce a resolution on Iran’s nuclear defiance at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, diplomats said. source: APread more
Libya disagreed with UN sanctions resolution on Iran but voted for it3 Mar 2008Summary: The report of the IAEA Director General of 22 February showed that essential progress had been made on the Iranian nuclear file and most outstanding issues had been resolved. The draft resolution should have taken those positive developments into consideration. source: UNread more
Statement by Indonesia against UN sanctions resolution on Iran3 Mar 2008Summary: MARTY M. NATALEGAWA ( Indonesia ) underscored the imperative to find a peaceful solution to any question related to nuclear non-proliferation, one that was guided by the need to protect the integrity of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Indonesia had full confidence in IAEA’s credibility and had been guided by its latest report in determining the right course of action. He appreciated Iran’s efforts for greater cooperation, which had allowed the Agency to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material. Iran had provided IAEA with access to declared nuclear material, as well as required nuclear material accountancy reports in that connection. source: UNread more
Iranian leader lends Iraq $1 billion, tells U.S. to leave3 Mar 2008Summary: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lent $1 billion on Monday and told America to go home, as he wrapped up a two-day visit to Baghdad aimed at cementing Iran’s blossoming relationship with its one-time enemy. source: Chicago Tribuneread more
UN deepens the Iran nuclear crisis3 Mar 2008Summary: On Monday, the United Nations Security Council adopted a third round of sanctions on Iran [1] that will likely escalate the nuclear crisis, given Tehran’s stated promise to resist “unlawful” pressures and demands. This may well mean resisting a key aspect of the UN resolution that calls for the interdiction of ships and airplanes carrying suspected nuclear cargo to and from Iran. With US and French ships poised to carry out this duty in and around the Persian Gulf, the stage has now been set for the next chapter in the source: Asia Timesread more
China says sanctions not meant to punish Iran3 Mar 2008Summary: BEIJING: China said on Tuesday a UN Security Council vote to tighten sanctions on Iran was not meant to punish the Islamic regime, but merely intended to trigger more diplomacy over its nuclear programme. source: Economic Timesread more
Iran’s envoy to UN: Security council tool of national foreign policy of few countries3 Mar 2008Summary: Mohammad KhazaeeThe international community is once again witnessing that the credibility of the Security Council, whose primary responsibility is to maintain international peace and security, is readily downgraded to a mere tool of the national foreign policy of just a few countries, Iranian Representative to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee said in his address to the Security Council. source: IRNAread more
Iran is cooperating with IAEA: Indonesian envoy3 Mar 2008Summary: Indonesian Ambassador to the United Nations, Marty Natalegawa, stressed on Monday that Iran is cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency. source: IRNAread more
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)