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Morning Brief, Tuesday, November 14

Iraq Bush met with members of the Iraq Study Group yesterday, and word is already leaking out that his administration isn't keen to suddenly adopt a friendlier approach to Iraq's neighbors. Tony Blair said yesterday that any move forward in Iraq must involve the whole Middle East. Gunmen seize more than 100 men from Iraq's ...

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Iraq

Iraq

Bush met with members of the Iraq Study Group yesterday, and word is already leaking out that his administration isn't keen to suddenly adopt a friendlier approach to Iraq's neighbors. Tony Blair said yesterday that any move forward in Iraq must involve the whole Middle East.

Gunmen seize more than 100 men from Iraq's ministry of higher education today.

Iran

Bush maintained a hardline against Iran while meeting with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert at the White House yesterday. 

Ahmadinejad says Iran is close to completing its nuclear fuel program, adding that he'll soon send a message to the United States to explain his country's policies. 

U.S.  trade with Vietnam

Bush heads to Hanoi later this week to attend an economic conference, but the House delivered a setback last night when they defeated a bill that would have granted Vietnam normal trade relations with the United States. The State Department just removed Vietnam from its list of countries that violate religious freedoms, also a nod to the upcoming visit.

Elsewhere

The most unsurprising news of the day: Pakistan's involvement in the rise in violence in Afghanistan.

More violence in Darfur. South Africa's parliament backs gay marriages. Japan bans the export of luxury goods – think cars, caviar, and alcohol – to North Korea. 

And Hamas and Fatah are close to a deal on a new prime minister. 

Carolyn O'Hara is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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