Morning Brief, Monday, September 17

Middle East

MARK WILSON/Getty Images News

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is struggling to explain this shocking comment in his new memoir: "I'm saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: The Iraq war is largely about oil."

In a cable to the State Department, Amb. Ryan Crocker expressed great frustration with the slow processing of Iraqi refugees trying to reach the United States. A State Department convoy came under attack in Baghdad Sunday, and the Iraqi government accuses contractors protecting it of killing civilians.

A flurry of news stories in the New York Times, Sunday Telegraph, and the Guardian suggest that, at a minimum, the U.S. government wants to deliver a credible military warning to Iran in advance of Friday's meeting of the P5+1. Or is the real target of these stories countries like France? In any case, the United States has already had trouble implementing the previous rounds of targeted sanctions against Iran, citing gaps in intelligence data.

Asia

Pervez Musharraf will step down as army chief of staff after being reelected president, his party chairman says. Believe it when you see it.

Yasuo Fukuda, now the leading contender to succeed Shinzo Abe as Japan's prime minister, promises to raise taxes—a rather unusual political strategy.

Taiwan's ruling party mobilized "hundreds of thousands" of supporters to call for membership in the United Nations, angering mainland China.

Investigators are combing the wreckage of last weekend's plane crash in Thailand. 

Europe

A European appeals court ruled against Microsoft for violating antitrust laws.

Greece's center-right ruling party is claiming a narrow victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections. 

Serbia's prime minister denounced NATO, signaling a less conciliatory approach to Europe and the international community. 

Elsewhere

U.S. President George W. Bush will reportedly nominate Michael Mukasey, a retired federal judge, to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. 

The European Space Agency published photos appearing to confirm that Arctic Sea ice had retreated to its lowest level on record.

Interviewed in the Financial Times, Alan Greenspan warns against sharp rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. 

Today's Agenda

• Montreal hosts representatives from some 190 countries to talk about ozone and climate change.
• President Bush welcomes José Sócrates, the prime minister of Portugal and current head of the EU presidency, for a White House visit.
• The first World Sikh Summit kicks off in London.