a first ; USA/Iran

Diskin, a widely respected former security official, also took the two Israeli leaders to task for mis-characterizing the possible effectiveness of a military strike against Iran and its nuclear program.

He said the Israeli government presented "a false view to the public on the Iranian bomb, as though acting against Iran would prevent a nuclear bomb. But attacking Iran will encourage them to develop a bomb all the faster."

It is not the first time a high-profile figure has criticized the Israeli government's handling of Iran.

Meir Dagan, the former chief of Israel's spy agency, the Mossad, has been a frequent and vocal critic of talk about an Israel strike on Iran, famously calling it a "stupid idea."

Fuck u aether who are you? Margaret thatcher?!

The threat of a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities this year has fallen from the shrill heights of the winter months, according to what close observers are saying and on how punters are placing actual bets. While Israeli doves appear to be taming the hawks, the war clouds could suddenly reappear as Washington shows little inclination to reduce the pressure on Tehran.

New French President Francois Hollande faces daunting eurozone challenges, but is clearly focusing on opening a new chapter in relations with China, the 21st century's most important factor of change, to define his presidency. In his bid to strengthen cooperation independently of the United States, and to end the mistrust that characterized ties under Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande is off to a good start.

Former French prime minister Michel Rocard's high-profile meeting in Iran with top officials and lawmakers has raised eyebrows in the United States and Israel, which are concerned that Paris may no longer toe Washington's line, especially with regard to the nuclear talks on Iran that are reaching a pivotal moment.

Vienna, May 15, IRNA – Second round of talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) started here Tuesday morning.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to attend the G8 Summit held in the United States, news came out that the U.S. President Barack Obama will not attend the Informal Meeting of Leaders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation held in Russia.

Although the White House has not officially confirmed the news, it is obvious that there is something wrong with the U.S.-Russia relations.

International community does not want to see turbulences in the U.S.-Russia relations. The stability of the relations among large countries of the world is a precondition for the normal operation of the international relations and also a necessity for increasing the probability of the global economic recovery, solving hot regional issues and eliminating various potential risks.

Iran's leadership is confidently reassuring the public that any nuclear deal with the "Iran Six" in Baghdad talks on Wednesday will not sacrifice the national interest. Tehran has calculated that France's presidential change and the eurozone crisis have sapped Europe's fighting spirit, with the need to keep oil prices stable before November's election also cooling hawkish sentiment in the United States

Despite some remaining differences, a deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the UN nuclear agency to restart a long-stalled probe into suspicions that Tehran has secretly worked on developing nuclear arms, the UN nuclear chief said Tuesday.

Washington has been in a muddle over whether post-Mubarak Egypt is a "friend". President Mohamed Morsi has cleared up the confusion: still friends, but no longer in the sense of a tail-wagging poodle. With the region's biggest Sunni country - Egypt - now holding hands with the biggest Shi'ite one - Iran - on seeking solutions to such problems as Syria, the political/secular map of the Middle East, up to now dominated by Saudi Arabia, is being completely redrawn.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's non-combative demeanor in this year's trip to the United Nations General Assembly has seen him offer Washington assistance in Afghanistan and stress that peaceful nuclear deals remain on the table. Perhaps his biggest conciliatory step is an appeal for a "new approach" in relations that draws on lessons from the past.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi returned from his recent visit to Beijing with strengthened ties between the two countries in the form of nearly US$5 billion worth of agreements that also help give him improved leverage in dealings with the United States and the International Monetary Fund. -

Old Cold War adversaries who still see West Asia as their playground will drown out sensible talk on the Syrian conflict at the UN General Assembly. Only by closing ranks can the international community convince President Bashar al-Assad that there's no way back to the "old Syria". Instead, as the US blows hot air onto a boiling cauldron and China and Russia veto Libya-style scenarios, hope for an inclusive solution seems remoter than ever.

An historic visit by Politburo member and internal security boss Zhou Yongkang to Afghanistan on Saturday signaled China's readiness play a much larger role there following the 2014 Western withdrawal. Zhou's focus on future reconstruction, security and economic cooperation was unlikely to have been missed by the United States or Russia. Beijing's interest gives Kabul added leverage with Washington, and has momentous implications for China's "all-weather friendship" with Pakistan.

The rise in insider attacks and reduction in joint operations between Afghan and international forces are just two signs that things are not going well for the United States and its allies. A pessimistic report by one of the most astute observers of the US war adds to the gloom, and even die-hard Republican supporters of US intervention suggest throwing in the towel.

This year's UN General Assembly has seen more national leaders than ever seek reform of the Security Council, with France's President Francois Hollande saying membership was not a "privilege handed down through time" and smaller countries saying expansion could solve the council's frequent paralysis and the image of increasing arrogance and powerlessness.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has the petrodollars to match the swagger of his call at the UN for an Arab coalition of the willing invasion of Syria. The Emir of Qatar's view will go down well in Washington, yet it's clear his real aim is to kill the $10 billion Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline, a deal clinched even as the uprising was underway.

Iran is willing to consider a cap on 5% uranium enrichment and open up to intrusive searches under the the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the economic screws are removed, Tehran has revealed. The stance makes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's drawing of a "red line" on 90% Iranian enrichment more cartoonish than it appeared.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held out the possibility on Wednesday that sanctions on Iran could be eased quickly if Tehran worked with major powers to address questions about its nuclear program.

The United States and Pakistan are a classic example of a dysfunctional nuclear family. While the two governments and their peoples become more suspicious of each other with every passing month, Washington and Islamabad are locked in an embattled embrace, an awkward post-9/11 relationship that neither can afford to leave.

The United States and Iran have agreed for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to Obama administration officials, setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.

Iranian officials have insisted that the talks wait until after the presidential election, a senior administration official said, telling their American counterparts that they want to know which American president they would be negotiating with.

News of the agreement — a result of intense, secret exchanges between American and Iranian officials that date almost to the beginning of President Obama’s term — comes at a critical moment in the presidential contest, just two weeks before Election Day and a day before the final debate, which is to focus on national security and foreign policy.

It has the potential to help Mr. Obama make a case that he is nearing a diplomatic breakthrough in the decade-long effort by the world’s major powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but it could pose a risk if Iran is seen as using the prospect of the direct talks to buy time.

[link to www.nytimes.com]

Public discussion of relations with the United States has historically been a taboo in Iran, but that has changed to debate distinguished by its breadth, including moving beyond the nuclear issue, and clear positioning of two sides. Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has suggested a road to detente, but shifts in the US position are required as encouragement for Tehran to take the first step

VIENNA — Iran’s foreign minister will fly to Tehran late Sunday for consultations with the country’s leadership and is expected to return Monday, as both Iranian and American officials acknowledged that the nuclear talks will extend beyond the Tuesday deadline.

Six major powers have reached an agreement with Iran on the country's nuclear programme.

What'sup Aether. I see you're up to your usual routine here.

;)

Good morning and I am pleased you notice