Morning Brief, Thursday, August 24
Iran's nuclear response First France declared that Iran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program made talks next to impossible, and now Germany's Merkel says that she's not satisfied with the Iranian response. But that hardly shows a united front against the Islamic Republic, which George Perkovich writes in the WSJ is the most prudent ...
Iran's nuclear response
Iran's nuclear response
First France declared that Iran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program made talks next to impossible, and now Germany's Merkel says that she's not satisfied with the Iranian response. But that hardly shows a united front against the Islamic Republic, which George Perkovich writes in the WSJ is the most prudent course:
Iranian leaders wish to perpetuate their rule, not sacrifice it. Since their illicit nuclear activities were discovered in 2002, they have acted cautiously when the major powers stood resolutely together. When resistance has been weak, Tehran has acted aggressively.
A report from the US House Intelligence Committee laments the lack of good intel on Iran, and some Bush administration officials and top Republican lawmakers are concerned that the warnings about Tehran aren't more ominous.
In London's Times, Anatole Kaletsky argues that it's time for the West to concede defeat in order to win the nuclear impasse.
Keeping the peace in Lebanon
Kofi Annan will head to the Lebanon and Israel later this week to gather support for the UN force, which Italy now says it may not lead. Lebanese PM Siniora says only the Lebanese army – not a UN force – will disarm Hezbollah. Jim Hoagland pleads with Chirac to step up to the plate with troops.
Hezbollah has distributed so much money in southern Lebanon – tens of millions in recent days, all in US dollars – that economists are weighing in about the effect on inflation.
Edward Cody delivers the story of a convoy of refugees who came under attack by Israel during the war, despite having received clearance from UNIFIL for safe passage.
Elsewhere
Don't miss Ellen Knickmeyer's piece on the power of Moktada al-Sadr and his army in Iraq.
Sen. Barack Obama will receive a hero's welcome on a trip to his father's native Kenya, where he'll take an HIV test to raise awareness about the need for safe sex.
Only sub-Saharan Africa has seen a rise in the number of child laborers in recent years:
They are prostitutes, miners, construction workers, pesticide sprayers, haulers, street vendors, full-time servants, and they are not necessarily even paid for their labor. Some are as young as 5 and 6 years old.
A second attempt to impeach Philippine President Gloria Arroyo fails. And a Chinese activist who protested forced abortions and sterilizations gets a four-year sentence for disturbing the public order.
More from Foreign Policy
Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.
Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.
How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.
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