Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has long been Iran’s greatest ally in the Western Hemisphere, but as Chavez’s cancer grows and his country’s future becomes increasingly uncertain, Iran may need to find a new best friend in Latin America—and fast. Enter Bolivia. Since Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first visited Bolivia in 2007, the relationship between Amhadinejad and Bolivian President Evo Morales has grown. The two even played soccer together in Tehran not too long ago. But Morales and Ahmadinejad’s fancy footwork aside, it’s clear that the relationship between Bolivia and Iran is … More
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By Justin Logan
May 23, the permanent five members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany (P5+1) will enter into talks with the Iranian leadership about the latter’s nuclear program. The Baghdad talks come on the heels of talks last month in Istanbul. A number of observers have raised expectations for the talks in Baghdad. The latest hopeful [...]
Negotiations with Iran: What Has Changed? is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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In case anyone was unconvinced about Iran’s hostility toward everything associated with Western values, recent provocations leave no doubt. After blocking the Olympics website, refusing to admit a Davis Cup tennis player, and slandering the Olympic logo for being “racist,” Iran’s latest flaunt is its threat to sue Google. Why? Because Google maps has no label for the Persian Gulf. According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast: Toying with modern technologies in political issues is among the new measures by the enemies against Iran, (and) in this regard, Google has … More
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Iran is resorting to its usual negotiating tactics on the nuclear issue: Slip away from its commitments under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and slide by international efforts to halt its nuclear weapons program. Yesterday, Iranian negotiators ended two days of talks with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is charged with verifying compliance with the nonproliferation treaty. Although the meetings failed to resolve the standoff over Tehran’s longstanding failure to fully cooperate with the IAEA, Iran’s negotiators played up the results as “very constructive.” The chief outcome … More
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By Doug Bandow
Every few years, the Law of the Sea Treaty rears its head as a one-size-fits-all solution to a host of current maritime problems. This time, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, are urging the Senate to ratify the treaty. The officials claim it will act [...]
Law of the Sea Treaty: A Tool to Combat Iran, China, and Russia? is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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After more than three years in office, the Obama Administration still is blaming the Bush Administration for its own difficulties. On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden made yet another attempt to pass the buck, claiming that the Bush Administration’s Iran policy was flawed and left the U.S. in an isolated position before the Obama Administration rectified the problem: By going the extra diplomatic mile, presenting Iran with a clear choice, we demonstrated to the region and the world that Iran is the problem, not the United States.… When we took … More
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The former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency made news yesterday by blasting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu’s government for exaggerating the effectiveness of a possible military strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Yuval Diskin, who retired last year after Netanyahu failed to renew his term in office, cast doubt on Netanyahu’s leadership: “I fear very much that these are not the people I’d want at the wheel.” What to make of this bitter political attack? First of all, it is a symptom of Israel’s increasingly polarized political environment in … More
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We are being attacked on all sides—and it is not the hacker in the basement we need to worry about most. It is the cyber super powers. China leads the way, particularly the Chinese military and intelligence services, which are enamored with online warfare. There are also more citizens online in China than in any other country on the planet. Many of them have been recruited to serve in the nation’s online militia. Most of China’s netizens are cyber nationalists who view the West—particularly us—with distrust. Every day, the U.S. … More
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By Doug Bandow
On May 20, the 2012 NATO Chicago summit will bring together the heads of state from the alliance. The agenda reads like a rundown of major world events in the past two years: the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, the global financial crisis, and the war in Afghanistan. It seems no problem is too [...]
NATO: An Alliance Past Its Prime is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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Former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice implored U.S. negotiators to leave the option of a military strike on the table when they meet with Iranian officials in Istanbul this weekend to attempt to convince Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. The negotiations will involve the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and France. American and European officials have been bearish on the prospects for the talks, though the White House insists “it’s a good first step.” “The most important thing we can do when we go … More
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