The Washington Times: World: "Iran's top negotiator yesterday gave a cautiously upbeat review of a package offered by the United States and five world powers designed to halt Tehran's uranium enrichment program, a package that could allow Iran access to some sensitive U.S. nuclear technology."
This is the kind of compromise that was necessary for the U.S. to come out of this claiming some kind of victory. Perhaps the Bush Administration has learned something from the Iraq experience, afterall. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Iran's top nuclear negotiator says a proposal by the world's biggest powers to curtail Tehran's uranium enrichment program contains "positive steps" but also "ambiguities." Ali Larijani says the package of incentives and penalties "is a framework for cooperation" and will be studied "clause by clause.""
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "A senior EU representative on Tuesday gave Iranian officials a package of incentives that represents a major initiative by the ...
Isn't this exactly the same approach Clinton used with N. Korea, which Bush so condemned in his 2000 election bid? The hypocrisy knows no bounds. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
ABC News: Politics: "Iran's Top Leader Warns of Disruption in Oil Shipments From the Gulf Region if U.S. Attacks"
Does Iran not understand this is precisely why the U.S. maintains a national oil reserve? Do they believe the outcry over higher oil prices around the globe would actually pressure the U.S. to withdraw after invading Iran? It appears Iran has leadership as ill-equipped for sound thinking as the U.S. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "The EU foreign policy chief to deliver UN proposals aimed at resolving division over Iran's nuclear programme."
Reuters: Top News: "TEHRAN (Reuters) - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the world's fourth largest oil exporter, said on Sunday that if the United States makes a "wrong move" toward Iran, energy flows in the region would be endangered.
Not a problem. Bush has the oil reserves to keep himself and his military flush with oil. The American people will suffer but, then that's nothing new under the Bush Administration. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "If cornered by the West over its nuclear program, Iran could direct Hezbollah to enlist its widespread international support network to aid in terrorist attacks, intelligence officials say.
If ever there was a setup for a "self fulfilling prophecy", this has to be it. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "Iran's foreign minister says a breakthrough over Tehran's nuclear program is possible and welcomes any unconditional talks with all parties, including the United States."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Friday that the West will not deprive Iran of nuclear technology, sounding a defiant note as the Big Powers stepped up pressure to accept a new package of incentives to stop sensitive nuclear activities.
"Iran's President appears to be operating on the assumption that the world for all its tough talk, will in the end be unwilling to embed itself into another Iraq invasion and nation building excursion as occured in Iraq. As the world's economies teeter ever more delicately on the fence of oil supply and production, one has to wonder if he might not just be dead on the money in his assumption. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Iran reportedly is reacting coolly to the United States' conditional offer for talks on its nuclear program, with the official Iranian news agency calling the U.S. proposal a "propaganda move.""
ABC News: Politics: "Iranian Foreign Minister Welcomes Direct Talks With U.S., but Rebuffs Demand to Halt Enrichment"
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "In a significant policy shift, the Bush administration agreed Wednesday to take part in talks with Iran about its nuclear program ...
Washington Post: Today's Highlights: "Bush administration wants Europe, Japan to back sanctions that would stifle Tehran's leadership if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve nuclear dispute."
Sanctions never harm the government leaders, only the people living under them. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
New York Times: International News: "The slowdown could indicate technical problems, or an Iranian desire to lower the temperature of its standoff with the West."
New York Times: International News: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's consolidation of power presents difficult diplomatic choices for the United States."
This is a very disturbing revelation if it is true - that he is eclipsing the power of the clerics who have not truck with incurring the wrath of the rest of the world. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
New York Times: International News: "The two countries agreed on Saturday to form a joint commission to oversee border issues and keep "saboteurs" out of Iraq."
Kinda puts a wrinkle in Bush's rhetoric about Iran fomenting terrorism in Iraq, doesn't it. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said Tehran wants to work directly with the United States on an "easily attainable" resolution, if Washington drops "the intimidation tactics.""
Reuters: Top News: "BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran has ruled out for now proposed talks with the United States over the future of Iraq because of Washington's "negative" attitude, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Friday."
World Press Review: Breaking News: "Islamic Republic News Agency, Government-owned news agency of Tehran, Iran"
This is the most striking evidence yet of an escalating rift in Iran amongst its leaders, which has been present for a decade or more. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "The Bush administration yesterday rejected the idea of direct talks with Iran as long as it pursues a nuclear weapons program, saying recent feelers from Tehran are a sign that the international pressure campaign against Iran is working."
Washington Post: Today's Highlights: "Follow-up to Ahmadinejad's letter to Bush erases taboo against contact with Washington that has long defined Tehran's foreign policy, sources say."
Will Bush once again fall into Iran's trap by refusing to engage in a dialogue? Probably. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
New York Times: International News: "Even without Security Council sanctions, the U.S. is using antiterrorism and banking laws to pressure Iran and wants Europe to do the same."
Reuters: Top News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Offering Iran security guarantees to stop its nuclear program makes no sense, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday as Tehran also dismissed the idea, citing a lack of trust.
Well, now that we have the obvious out of the way. What's next? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
New York Times: International News: "The three week detention without charges of an Iranian philosopher and writer could signal greater repression of intellectuals in Iran."
Reuters: Top News: "Britain, Germany and France, the so-called EU3, are trying to put together a generous package that could offer a nuclear reactor and security guarantees to Tehran. But their gambit seems doomed with both Iran and Washington unimpressed by the terms.
Ahmadinejad sees weakness in Pres. Bush's position and it is not interpretation. Bush's Iraq war has so indebted the next two generations of Americans that for decades increased taxes to pay off the Iraq War will be blamed on Bush and Republicans. In addition, with the U.S. already engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ahmadinejad apparently feels relatively confident that if the U.S. strikes Iran with bunker busting bombs, the U.S. will find itself fighting an ever widening war on terrorism with Iran as terrorist's new rallying cry. In all, it would appear the U.S. and Bush's position is weak, and will only get weaker with an attack on Iran. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "Citing diplomats from each side as well as other officials, all of whom requested anonymity, the Times reported that the Bush administration was also resisting the idea of protecting European companies from punishment by Washington if they did business with Iran, an idea put forth in the European proposal, the Times said.
Careful, we don't have that many friendly supportive allies left. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "Iran said last month it had enriched uranium to the level used in power stations for the first time, crediting its own scientists for the breakthrough. The U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed this from samples taken in Iran."
Reuters: Top News: "TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday ruled out halting nuclear fuel work in return for a package of EU incentives, saying the Europeans were offering "candy for gold".
After a brilliant tactical move in sending that letter to Bush, Ahmadinejad has gone back to Stupid, again. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "The EU is preparing a new package of measures to convince Iran to end nuclear enrichment, Javier Solana says."
CNN: World: "The national security adviser under former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Sunday that the United States should open direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, and dismissed the current negotiations as "absurd.""
Reuters: Top News: "BRUSSELS (Reuters) - UN inspectors have found traces of near bomb-grade enriched uranium on nuclear equipment in Iran, diplomats said on Friday, as the EU prepared a declaration that will insist Tehran shelve all enrichment work.
This smells fishy. Do they have fish in the desert? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: ""It (the EU Council) calls on the Iranian authorities to cooperate fully with the IAEA, suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development," according to a declaration drafted for EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.
Reuters: Top News: "AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog welcomed on Thursday moves to avert possible U.N. sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program and appealed for compromise as Iran's president said he was ready to talk.
So, if Bush won't open discussions, the U.N. will. Nice passing of the ball, there. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: Politics: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that the "wrong" intelligence used to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq should "give one pause" when evaluating the credibility of intelligence information coming out of Iran."
It was stupidity in cherry picking the intelligence to suit their drothers that created the false pretenses for invading Iraq: Not faulty intelligence by our spy agencies. When Rummy uses the words "faulty intelligence", remember to translate that to to "low White House IQ"! -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "With his 18-page letter, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered to President Bush a history lesson, philosophy lecture and religious sermon laced with references to Jesus Christ."
Ahmadinejad laid a trap for Pres. Bush, and Bush and Condi walked smack dab into it by refusing to respond, refusing to engage in dialogue, and by action, telling the Arab and Muslim world that the U.S. has not intention to pursue peaceful resolution of the Iranian situation. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "Speaking in Indonesia, Iran's president dismissed concerns over its nuclear program as "a big lie," a day after key Security Council members agreed to give Tehran a choice of incentives or sanctions in deciding whether to suspend uranium enrichment."
What smacks of dishonesty is when one asks the question, if say Pakistan offered Iran nuclear armaments tomorrow without ratalliation from the world, would Iran jump at the opportunity? If the answer is yes, then Iran's motives and denials of plans to achieve nuclear weapons have to be suspect. That said, would this not be true of every nation on earth? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Is Iran developing bomb?
"This is an excellent review of both sides of the argument as to whether Iran should be viewed as a threat. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Read full story for latest details."
Yeah, but to many in the Arab world it reads like an outstretched hand rejected by Pres. Bush. This was a very, very clever move. I took Iran's President for a fool. I won't make that mistake again. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "TEHRAN (Reuters) - More work is needed to unite world powers behind a U.N. resolution to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, Germany said on Tuesday after foreign ministers failed to agree a joint strategy.
New Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett today said no-one intended to take military action against Iran, but stopped short of adopting the strong
It would appear some rational thought is returning to British government. What's America's major delay? Oh, yeah, the yanks are still lost in the Bushes. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
language of her predecessor Jack Straw."Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to George W Bush proposing"new solutions" to their differences in the first letter from an Iranian leader to an American president in 27 years, government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said today.
"Now this is a clever tactic. Knowing full well that Bush will resent any counsel from his adversary, Ahmadinegad is setting the trap for Bush to appear unwilling to negotiate, preferring sanctions and war to diplomacy. Very, very clever. Will Bush take the bait? I suspect he might. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman has said suspending uranium enrichment is "not on our agenda" and U.N. Security Council intervention would be "completely illegal.""
More bait for the trap? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "The United States and Europe believe Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb and have reported the country to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose possible sanctions.
I fear Bush may be walking blindly right into an Iranian trap to unite all Muslims and Arab nations against the U.S. or face civil wars in their own countries. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "The Iranian parliament threatened Sunday to force the government to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty if the ...
This would be a monumentally stupid move by Iran, unless, it is part of a larger plan and strategy to goad Bush and the West into fighting another war on a third front that unites them all. Iran 's actions are beginning to appear to make no sense, until one speculates on their gains in the long run from another Bush invasion. Looked at that way, their actions begin to make sense. Doesn't mean that is what Iran is doing, but explaining their actions another way is proving more and more difficult. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and China on Friday opposed key provisions in a U.N. draft resolution that orders Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, making an agreement unlikely before ministers come to New York next week.
Let the new East-West cold war begin. This time, the U.S. begins with mountains of debt, the way the USSR ended the last cold war. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Christian Science Monitor: All Stories: "The long-time foes have worked well together in Afghanistan, a place where they have common ground.
Washington Post: Today's Highlights: "Security Council will weigh measure that hints at sanctions if Tehran doesn't halt nuclear program."
I am impressed. These small progressive incremental steps at nudging Iran away from their President's insane rhetoric is precisely the way I would go. In time as the pressure increases, the Iranian people are likely to remove their President on grounds of insanity. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: ""My conviction is that military actions is certainly no solution," Villepin told a monthly news conference.
If by solution he means: 'will solve more problems that it creates', I have to agree with him 100%. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
AP Politics: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting President Bush for the second time in four months, trying to prevent friction among the main Atlantic allies as they push for possible U.N. penalties against Iran over its nuclear program...."
Two problems here. First is that the White House is not acknowledging the fact that Iran's President, the guy making all the outlandish claims, does not have much real power, and in fact has less support than his predecessors amongst both the people and the Mullahs in government. Second, is that Bush's rush to sanctions even though Iran's inspections by the IAEA have conclusively stated Iran has accounted for all of its nuclear material and is not hiding any, is unwarranted UNLESS provocation and escalation toward military action is the goal. Starting to look like the prelude to the Iraq invasion all over again with misinformation and unwarranted escalation. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "As Tehran attacked the U.S. for "impudent threats," members of the U.N. Security Council were meeting in Paris to discuss their response to a nuclear watchdog report that said Iran was violating demands to halt uranium enrichment."
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "A leading Iranian official said Sunday the country is digging in for a confrontation with the West over its disputed nuclear ...
Finally, something believeable coming out of Iran. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "Iran said on Saturday it would allow United Nations inspectors to resume snap inspections of its nuclear facilities, but only if the dispute again went before the U.N. nuclear monitor.
The White House rejected the offer, which apparently came as Iran sought to avoid a full-blown U.N. Security Council debate over sanctions.
World Press Review: Breaking News: "Ha`aretz, Liberal daily of Tel Aviv, Israel"
But, this still puts them years away from having nuclear weapons. Don't let haste make waste of our efforts to stabilize the Middle East. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
World Press Review: Breaking News: "Islamic Republic News Agency, Government-owned news agency of Tehran, Iran"
Me thinks our President once again is displaying his ignorance of the potential enemy and leaving his trademark signature on the Iran situation - Unintended and Unanticipated Consequences. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Christian Science Monitor: All Stories: "Threats of sanctions or military action worry some Iranians, but have united most in defiance.
This is just Bush's law of unintended consequences. If he promotes it, the laws of incompetence accurately predict there will be heavy unintended consequences. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
World Press Review: Breaking News: "Islamic Republic News Agency, Government-owned news agency of Tehran, Iran"
New York Times: International News: "Iran is working on a P-2 centrifuge, an advanced uranium enrichment machine that could speed development of a nuclear weapon."
Why is Iran prodding the world to do something interventionist? 1) The Iranian President has as many screws loose as our own President, 2) he truly believes the world is impotent to do anything as long as the committment in Iraq is ongoing, or 3) he really does want an invasion to occur, uniting Muslims around the world in a way al-Queda could only dream about. My bet is on 1 and 3, and both are equally nuts if we play into such insanity! No doubt Bush's folks will choose #2 and take it as a challenge to their testosterone levels. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "Iran has expanded its uranium-conversion facilities in Isfahan and reinforced its Natanz underground uranium-enrichment plant, a U.S. think tank said amid growing speculation about U.S. military action."
Think about think tanks for a minute. Why do they get funding? Do they make their living speaking truth to money and power, or by selling what money and power want to buy? Beware the think tanks. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Some 200 Iranians have volunteered in the past few days to carry out "martyrdom missions" against U.S. and British interests around the world if Iran is attacked, a hard-line group said Sunday."
Another Iraq in the making. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "Iran's president fired more verbal shots at Israel, calling it a "rotten, dried tree" that will be annihilated by a storm. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also again expressed doubts about the validity of the Holocaust."
This guy has a screw loose, or a few! -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly rejected an appeal from U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday, saying Iran will not retreat "one iota" on its uranium enrichment."
Yeah, it will. When the price is right. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "The world's leading powers, including Russia and China, joined the United States in expressing heightened concern yesterday over Iran's advancing its nuclear program in defiance of the United Nations."
A united voice is far better diplomacy than a unilateral one. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
