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Tuesday
Jul142009

LATEST Iran Video: Sohrab Arabi Funeral (13 July)

The Latest from Iran (13 July): Challenge Renewed

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Warning: Emotionally Graphic Coverage

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJCu1Cln-Q[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dioz-GANII&feature=channel_page[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zls44XQBsF0&feature=channel[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7cCAflWfoM&feature=channel[/youtube]
Tuesday
Jul142009

Video: Obama is a Dirty Old Man (or Maybe Not)

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Since we launched Enduring America last November, we've had Obama the Muslim, Obama as Hitler, Obama as Stalin, and even Obama the Antichrist, but somehow the 44th President of the US has been able to slip away unscathed.

Last weekend, however, Obama seemed to have been busted. As he stood with other national leaders at the G8 Summit in Italy, it appeared that he was taking far more interest in the backside of a 16-year-old delegate, Mayara Tavares, in Brazil's youth group.

1obam

But, doggone it, it appears that Barack may be off the hook once more. Far from being a Dirty Old Man, it seems he was a Polite, Courteous Chief Exective, helping another lady step down. Instead, it's Mr Carla Bruni, a.k.a. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who may want to be watching both his headlines and his domestic situation:

Tuesday
Jul142009

Beyond the Election: Talking Turkey to Iran?

The Latest from Iran (14 July): Ripples on the Surface

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IRAN TURKEY FLAGSColette Mazzucelli, who has written for Enduring America and our partner website Libertas, has a challenging article (co-written with Sebnam Udum) in Atlantic Community on the next steps regarding Tehran in the international community: "UN Security Council members and Germany must turn to Turkey to successfully negotiate with Iran."

Why the West Should Talk Turkey with Iran


As Presidents Obama and Medvedev met in Moscow to agree in reductions on their strategic nuclear arsenal, events inside Iran continued to evolve. An increasing segment of the Iranian population worries about the disappearance of "semi-democracy" in favor of totalitarian rule. Influential clerics have indicated their lack of support for the results of the June 12 elections, which led to a second term for the incumbent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In the weeks after the election, cell phone images and Twitter accounts of a brutal government crackdown on the reform movement were uploaded to the Internet. Billions of people around the world continue to witness a regime, and the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, losing the legitimacy established with the Islamic Revolution three decades ago.

It is too soon to know the ultimate outcome of these events, which may take years to play out in domestic politics. The transatlantic allies must remain proactive in nuclear diplomacy within the P5+1. There must be a readiness to engage Iran with a unified negotiating line should the leadership in Tehran decide to respond to the package on the table. President Obama is prudent to expect a signal from the Iranians by September as to their interest, or lack thereof, for serious engagement. Iran shows no sign of halting its nuclear aspirations as time passes.

Even though the ball is now in Iran's court, the transatlantic allies should not play a waiting game. There is much work to do particularly in the bilateral talks US diplomats conduct with Russia and China. The Obama Administration's seriousness about non-proliferation with the Russians demonstrates leadership by the power of example. E3 diplomacy with Russian and Chinese counterparts must also aim to unify negotiating positions vis-à-vis Iran. This is complicated during an election year for the Germans, who have significant economic relations with Iran. The accent must be on a package that highlights Iran's inherent right to a civilian nuclear program with a nuclear-fuel-cycle capability of its own under intensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) control and verification.

There is another player to which the transatlantic allies must now increasingly turn in the overall relationship with Iran after the events of June 12: Turkey. The absence of conflict between Iran and Turkey is due to the rough strategic balance between the two countries despite mutual threat perceptions from their respective political regimes. Turkey is concerned about Iran's missile and nuclear programs. The Turkish leadership defines threat as a combination of motivations and capabilities, which is why maintaining good neighborly relations with Tehran is important for Ankara.

Read rest of article....
Tuesday
Jul142009

The Secrecy of Dick Cheney: Scott Lucas on the BBC

I spoke on Monday with BBC Radio Five's "Up All Night" programme, specifically on today's story that Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the CIA to withhold information from Congress about a CIA counter-terrorism programme, generally on the expansion (sometimes illegal) of Executive power under the George W. Bush Administration. The interview begins at the 17-minute mark of the programme.
Tuesday
Jul142009

Israel and the Middle East: France Jumps In

441030585_84546b0a5caOver the last week, Paris has sent three signals of concern to Tel Aviv. First,President Nicolas Sarkozy said last Wednesday that an Israeli attack on Iran would be an “absolute catastrophe”.

Second, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner held talks on Friday with a Hezbollah legislator. Responding to Israeli criticisms, Kouchner said: "Hezbollah is part of the parties that participated in the recent parliamentary elections. It is natural to meet with its representatives."

And on Saturday, Ha'aretz reported, via Israel Radio,  that Kouchner had told his Lebanese interlocutors in Beirut that Washington had given Tel Aviv 6 months to halt expansion of settlements in the West Bank: "The U.S. could extend the six-month deadline, though Washington will not provide sponsorship to a renewed peace process if Jerusalem continues settlement construction."

If true, Kouchner has just set up a two-way message to Israel and Iran: while Tehran has its deadline --- negotiate by September or face tougher economic sanctions --- the Israelis are now on notice over the Palestinian process. The question is whether the French have developed this with the US.  If Tehran fails to satisfy the demands of the international community, Washington and Paris will lean more to the Israeli demand for stricter sanctions on the Islamic Republic. However, if Tehran moves to meet the demands, Washington will start ignoring the classic Israeli rhetoric on Iran's nuclear threat unless Tel Aviv halts its policy on settlements.