Iran Snapshot: The Politics of Smog

Earlier this year, the Majlis approved a $2 billion expansion of the Tehran subway system, with extension of the existing services and completion of two new lines , taking the Metro from the centre of Tehran to Imam Khomeini International Airport 25 miles away. 

But the Ahmadinejad Government has refused to allow the allocation. The reason? It is another front in the contest for control between Parliament and the President, but the financing would also hand more power to another rival of Ahmadinejad, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf.

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Wikileaks Commentary: "Fiasco Doesn't Embarrass Israel One Bit" (Benn)

WikiLeaks did not succeed in penetrating the most sensitive channels of U.S.-Israel relations.

Even after yesterday's revelations, we still do not know what was really said in the meetings between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, or between former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon during their talks with former U.S. President George W. Bush, or between Dagan and his counterparts at U.S. intelligence agencies.

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Israel Analysis: Defying Obama, Defying Netanyahu --- The Latest on Settlement Expansion

Israel's envoy to the UN, Meron Reuben, told Palestianian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, "It takes two to tango, Israel cannot reach peace on its own." That statement can be taken a step further: within Israel, Netanyahu "cannot reach peace" on his own. Facing the resistance both at local level and within the Cabinet, he is dancing with himself.

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Wikileaks Pakistan-Afghanistan Document: No Confidence in Zardari; No Alternative To Karzai

[Ministry of Defence official John] Day stated that HMG continues to feel “deep frustration” with Karzai, wryly adding that “I remind people that we -- the international community -- selected him.” For all Karzai’s faults, Day continued, the real question concerning Karzai’s future is whether there is a “constitutional alternative.” One dire possible scenario would be “failed elections (in 2009) with Karzai having reduced legitimacy and with violence attributed to the campaign.”

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US-Iran Analysis: Obama's Policy --- All Tactics, No Strategy? (Farhi)

Both sides are caught in narratives developed not only to antagonize one another, but also to appease their respective domestic audiences. While Obama’s extension of an offer to Iran for direct negotiations without preconditions was initially promising, the U.S. government ultimately reverted to Bush Administration tactics, attempting to exploit Iran’s domestic weakness to obtain concessions in the international arena.  Rather than success, however, this strategy has prompted the Iranian government to counter with strident rhetoric and increased domestic political repression, in the name of defending against foreign intervention in Iranian affairs. So far, the only thing that can be said with confidence about the failed nuclear negotiations is that the real losers in this political game of brinksmanship have been the Iranian, urban middle class and private sector, which have become increasingly unsettled and confused in the face of an economic pinch from abroad and political repression at home.

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Wikileaks Special: A Guide to Day 3 of EA's Coverage

ANALYSES

1. Gary Sick assesses the revelations in the documents about the Obama Administration's "engagement" strategy towards Iran.

2. Scott Peterson reports on the scepticism over the sincerity of US approaches in light of the documents.

3. Gareth Porter dissects media coverage of stories such as the call of Arab leaders for military action against Tehran and North Korean missiles to Iran.

FEATURES AND DOCUMENTS

1. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asks about the Mystery of the Disappearing Anti-American Graffiti in Iran.

2. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gives a US Congressman the ultimate answer to US questions about human rights.

Wikileaks Document: Syria's Assad Gives the Ultimate Response to the US on Human Rights

Senator Cardin pressed on, insisting that Syria should adhere to widely accepted international standards. He explained, "When the U.S. is challenged, you see it on the front page of the newspaper."

Was Assad now cornered? Not at all.

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Wikileaks-Iran Video Feature: Twisting the Tale from Arabs to North Korean Missiles

Journalist Gareth Porter speaks with The Real News about the initial handling of the Wikileaks documents on Iran, putting another context on the headline that Arab leaders called for military action against Tehran. (The interview starts at the 3-minute mark.)

Today Porter takes on the Monday article in The New York Times, "Iran Fortifies Its Arsenal With the Aid of North Korea"....

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Wikileaks-Iran Analysis: The Scepticism over Obama's Sincerity (Peterson)

WikiLeaks revelations that American officials were planning to raise pressure on Iran with more sanctions and a missile defense shield – even while President Obama was making high-profile public overtures to Iran – are being seen in Tehran as validation of deep skepticism from the start about Obama’s effort.

Iranians and analysts alike say the leaked diplomatic cables show a half-hearted attempt at engagement in which the US administration’s “dual track” policy of simultaneously applying pressure and negotiating was undermined by a singular focus on the pressure track and a growing assumption that engaging Iran was pointless.

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The Latest from Iran (1 December): Another Execution

1930 GMT: Economy Watch. From the latest inflation figures, highlights a 123% annual rise in the price of tomatoes. Other increases are 46% for fresh vegetables, 20% for red meat, 30% for oil, 34% for sugar, 15% for fruit, and 12% for tea. In contrast, chicken only rose in price by 5%.

1915 GMT: On Campus. Opposition websites claim that thousands of leaflets for rallies on 16 Azar (7 December) have been distributed at Qazvin University.

1845 GMT: Student activist Ali Gholizadeh has been released from prison.

The 15-year sentence imposed on blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki (Babak Khorramdin) has been confirmed by an appellate court.

Ali Akbar Nazari, a member of the Tehran Bus Workers Union, has been arrested.

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