Give Diplomacy a Chance in Iran, Says Rep. Keith Ellison

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Why Increased U.S. Sanctions on Iran Don’t Work - Rep. Keith Ellison in The Hill [link]    

  • Increased sanctions at this time, while actually harming their own people, rally and strengthen the nation’s resolve to further its nuclear ambitions in the name of self defense. If we fall prey to their trap, we run the risk of losing both a nuclear-free, and a democratic, Iran.
  • Congress needs to give President Barack Obama’s diplomatic efforts a chance before increasing sanctions.

What Really Happened in Vienna? - Julian Borger's Global Security Blog in the Guardian [link]

  • This deal will only be done when Tehran gives a yes or no, and saying yes or no is something the Supreme Leader generally tries to avoid. When in doubt, he errs on the side of no. The deadline is tomorrow, but it would not be out of character for Tehran to try to stretch it.
  • Soltanieh, who is Iran's man in Vienna, was studiedly neutral about the document speaking publicly immediately afterwards, but in a CNN interview later, he gave the most positive response to date:

In principle we have in fact accepted this offer for this Tehran ... reactor in spite of the fact that we are capable of producing the fuel...But we decided to welcome this offer in order not only to show our transparency and cooperation but prove that all activities are for exclusively peaceful purposes.

Taliban Strike Near Nuclear Facility in Pakistan's Punjab - Long War Journal [link]       

  • A Taliban suicide bomber has killed seven people near a nuclear weapons complex in Pakistan's Punjab province.
  • The Taliban sparked concern in December 2007 when a suicide bomber targeted Pakistani Air Force personnel and their families outside the Kamra Air Force Base. It became clear that attacks were being directed at Pakistani nuclear installations. Three other bombings and suicide attacks occurred near bases housing nuclear weapons in 2007.

New German Government Wants U.S. Nukes Out - FP Passport [link]

  • Reuters has printed excerpts from the coalition agreement between German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's free democrats, which includes the following: "we will strive within (NATO) and with our American allies for a withdrawal of the last U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany."

The Lighter Side

Ken Catalino in Slate [link]