Iran's nuclear response
Let's review: UN Security Council countries plus Germany told Iran in June that they'd hold talks on the country's nuclear future if Iran agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program first. Cut to two months and one war later, and Iran replies that sure, it would love to hold talks, but it'll have to pass on that suspension proposal.
Already, the chips are falling - predictably - this way:
The United States, Britain, France and Germany planned to meet Wednesday to discuss the Iranian proposal and the prospect of drawing up a sanctions resolution. But it is notable that the meeting will not include Russia and China.
A new report from Britain's Chatham House says the war on terror and the war in Lebanon have left Iran in a position of considerable strength.
France steps up first to insist that any talks will be preceded by an enrichment suspension by Iran.
Lebanon
At least France is stepping up first on Iran, because it's still dawdling after talking the talk on leading the UN force to Lebanon. Jonathan Freedland argues today that EU reluctance to walk the walk just confirms the American right's stereotypes. UN rules of engagement for Lebanon would "permit soldiers to shoot in self-defense, use force to protect civilians and resist armed attempts to interfere with their duties," according to the FT after a copy of the rules was obtained by Reuters yesterday.
Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes in a new report.
Egyptian democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim writes that Washington's "cold war on Muslim democrats" has produced an Islamist backlash across the Middle East.
Iraq
Zalmay Khalilzad takes to the pages of the WSJ to present a plan for securing Baghdad. It all sounds well and good - more troops on the streets, economic development, targeting militias. Will it work?
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