The tap dancing - by all players - of the last few years over Iran’s nuclear program is about to come to a head. There is a convergence of events coming regarding Iran’s nuclear aspirations that goes far beyond the Persian Gulf. The players in this drama are not just Iran and Israel, not just the regional powers Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, but encompassing Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia, as well as the United States.

For several years now, the West has attempted to convince Iran to clarify its intentions about it nuclear programs. While Iran is completely within its rights to conduct nuclear research, even to the point of the development of a nuclear power generation capability, the scope of the multiple Iranian uranium enrichment programs appears to far exceed that required for energy.

For example, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims that the goal of the nuclear program is solely to develop electrical power plants. Actually, Iran burns more energy as waste natural gas from its oil wells than it could ever produce even if all its nuclear facilities were used to produce electricity.

The program is obviously too large, too dispersed, too hardened and too well defended to be merely for nuclear power generation. A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (authored primarily by two State Department intelligence analysts with an obvious agenda) in late 2007 assessed that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program a few years earlier. Neither the administration at the time nor the two major candidates for President - Senators Obama and McCain - bought it.
Now President Obama unequivocally states that Iran is conducting a nuclear weapons research and development program. The United Nations’ normally ineffective nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency agrees, releasing an assessment that Iran already has the capability to produce a nuclear device, though not yet in a missile warhead. The President also stated that it is “unacceptable” that Iran develop and possess such weapons, and that he will use all elements of American power to prevent that from happening.

There has been speculation that a series of meetings and events are aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring these weapons. If true, good for Mr. Obama - if not, it just highlights the administration’s previous naivete - it has been consistently outfoxed by the regime in Tehran since taking office earlier this year.
First, we have the aborted delivery of S-300 (SA-10, SA-12 or SA-23, depending on version) air defense missile systems to Iran on the allegedly hijacked merchant ship Arctic Sea, despite Russian official claims to the contrary. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, have made several trips to Moscow before and after the “recovery” of the vessel. Then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issues a statement that he has been assured ny Netanyahu that Israel is not planning a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This, of course, has been denied by the Israelis, who maintain that a military strike is still an option.

There’s more. Last week, Obama and his secretary of defense announced that they were cancelling the installation of a ballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe based on a new National Intelligence Estimate that Iranian missiles now pose less of a threat than previously believed. This is from the same group that last year assessed there was no active Iranian nuclear weapons program. Why do we assume they have it right now? Is is reliable enough to literally let down our defenses?

Now the Obama Administration is going to participate in talks with the Iranians, albeit in partnership with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany (P5+1). This represents a major change in the American position that Iran must first halt its uranium enrichment activities before any talks with the United States. Again, outfoxed by Tehran?

I hope that in return for reversing plans to deploy ballistic missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russia has agreed to exert its influence over Iran to enter into serious dialogue with the P5+1. Up until now, Iran’s strategy has been to delay by talking about dialogue while still enriching uranium.

The upcoming talks with Iran may be the last chance for a peaceful resolution to the crisis - and it is a crisis. If Iran does no agree to halt its uranium enrichment and the group does not impose tough sanctions that force a change in Ian’s behavior, the Israelis will likely turn to the military option. Maybe just coincidence, but several U.S. Navy ships with the latest American anti-ballistic missile systems are en route Israel.

There will have to be a resolution to this soon. The events of the next few weeks will be interesting.

President Jacob Zuma and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille (obscured by child greeting her) are seen during a visit to Green Point stadium in Cape Town with 365 days to kick-off of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Thursday, 11 June 2009.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

South Africa’s rich, poor gap must be closed- Zuma

By Peroshni Govender and Alison Raymond

MIDRAND, South Africa, Sept 21 (Reuters) - South Africa must do more to close the gap between rich and poor, President Jacob Zuma said on Monday at a congress of union allies who want him to take tougher action against unemployment and poverty.

Union federation COSATU was instrumental in helping Zuma to power in April, but unionists have been unable to get him to shift from policies they condemn as too pro-business and have gone head to head with him over a series of pay strikes.

Zuma assured COSATU, which has 1.9 million members, that creating jobs and improving the lives of the poor were the policy priorities of the ruling African National Congress.

‘The ANC must now use its victory and control of state power to improve the quality of life of the poor and marginalised,’ Zuma said.

He said people’s lives could be changed if drastic improvements were made in health, rural development, education, the fight against crime and creating jobs.

His comments did not include new measures to improve the lives of the poor. Instead, Zuma highlighted some measures taken since he came to power, like the creation of new government departments, including a human settlements ministry which has a mandate going beyond the mere provision of housing.

Thousands of union members attended COSATU’s four-day annual conference. The group wants economic policies it says will bring jobs and improve the lives of millions of black South Africans still living in poverty 15 years after apartheid ended.

As well as more spending, they seek an end to inflation targeting by the central bank, which they blame for sharp interest rate increases last year. They also demand a seat on the bank board and want it to come under full state control.

COSATU President Sidumo Dlamini said Zuma and the government should not take the labour federation’s support for granted when it came to choosing his successor, suggesting the union body may toughen its position if its demands are not heeded.

‘When that debate comes we shall not be neutral. We will be on the side with those who would have supported the principles that guided our movement,’ Dlamini said.

Zuma — dressed in a bright red Mao-style suit — said the fact that South Africa was in its first recession in 17 years should not make the ruling party and its union and communist allies shift from their goals.

LAWLESSNESS

But he condemned lawlessness seen during recent strikes and protests over slow delivery of basic services like electricity and water in townships.

‘Violent strikes violate other people’s right of association and undermine the cause of workers’.

In a recorded message, former President Nelson Mandela urged COSATU delegates to be strong in a difficult period.

‘We urge you not to tire, not to despair when times are tough and to be resilient in these troubling times,’ he said.

Dlamini told the congress that the economic crisis was not of workers’ making so they should not have to bear the brunt.

Analysts said that while Zuma was likely to be open to debate at the congress, COSATU would not dictate his policy.

‘I doubt Zuma is frightened by the unions,’ said Sanusha Naidu, a political analyst at think-tank FAHAMU.

In the draft resolutions, COSATU also called for a review of the country’s black economic empowerment (BEE) policy, saying ‘the black bourgeoisie benefits on the sweat of workers through BEE companies’.

In order to right apartheid wrongs and give blacks a stake in the economy, South Africa requires firms to meet quotas on black ownership, employment and procurement to offset racism and stimulate the economy by creating a black middle class.

But several deals have collapsed as the global crisis has caused the value of shares used as collateral to fall and critics argue the drive has enriched a small black elite while doing little to boost the economy.

(Writing by Marius Bosch: Editing by Matthew Tostevin) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: SAFRICA COSATU/

(marius.bosch@thomsonreuters.com; +27 11 775 3040; Reuters Messaging: marius.bosch.reuters.com@reuters.net)

The Pentagon is looking for proposals that could reduce the growing collection of space junk orbiting our planet

Apparently the Young European Federalists are launching yet another ‘yes’ campaign to urge Ireland to adopt the Lisbon Treaty.

They write:

“The absence of a strong No side demonstrates that there are no real arguments to reject this treaty.”

Or maybe it’s more to do with the fact that there’s no public money being pumped into the ‘No’ side. The YEF, on the other hand, enjoys funding from the EU Commission in order to promote European integration, as we pointed out in our December publication, ‘The Hard Sell’.

The group received a rather sizeable €132,927 from the EU between January 2005 and October 2007.

But don’t take our word for it - check out the YEF’s own website, where they proudly show off their EU funding.

Turn up the sound and click here for an example of the sort of stuff this group is spending your money on to get you to support EU federalism (warning - it’s possibly the cringiest thing on the internet).

As regards the Lisbon Treaty, they believe it “is crucial to put the EU back on track on the road to unification”.

One proposal they’ve put forward recently is for a single EU Olympic Team, an idea they came up with when Britain was doing well winning medals last year in Beijing. After the idea was covered in the newspapers in the UK, Toni Giugliano , the Vice-President of the group issued this extraordinary statement, while foaming at the mouth. Here’s an extract:

“It’s great to see that the British press have reacted so passionately to the proposed European Olympic Team, especially since this is the year that team GB finally showed the continent and the world that Britain is not only the heart disease, cancer and diabetes capital of the world, nor the couch potato Rupert Murdoch reading state that everyone makes it out to be. No! Brits really do love playing sports, and winning at them too!… It may be the case that team GB did better than usual in these Olympics. Perhaps they fed their athletes with Special K instead of the usual fried chips ‘n egg. Mmmm, they’re learning.”

Efforts to curb HIV transmission from mothers to their children in Africa have received a boost, thanks to a new partnership between the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and a UN-backed initiative seeking to help lift villages on the continent lift themselves out of poverty.

The crop prospects in the Horn of Africa for this year are poor, on the heels of below-average rainfall, violence and displacement, will intensify hunger in the region, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) cautioned today.

Wind-powered stations are likely to be profitable in the UK by 2017, according to the chief executive of Siemens Renewable Energy.

By Rowena MasonPublished: 5:55PM BST 20 Sep 2009
The energy source is currently heavily subsidised by the Government as it rushes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and produce 20pc of all power from renewables by 2020 in line with European climate change targets.
However, Rene Umlauft, chief executive of the Siemens division, believes that the rising price of gas and other fossil fuels will make wind farms commercially viable within eight years.

Wind power is already operating without subsidies in New Zealand, where the weather conditions make windmills more efficient than in other parts of the world.
The wind is also strong enough in Mexico and Brazil to make wind power near profitable in these countries over the next year.
Mr Umlauft’s forecast comes as Siemens, the German wind-turbine maker, and Dong Energy, the Danish wind-farm owner, opened the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Denmark last Thursday.
The Horns Rev 2 farm, which has 91 turbines and can generate 209 megawatts of electricity, will increase Denmark’s wind power to more than 20pc of the country’s total energy consumption.
But this will be vastly overshadowed when the London Array wind farm is built in the Thames Estuary off the coast of Kent with 341 turbines.
The project, funded by Dong, E.ON and Masdar, an Abu Dhabi company, could be ready to generate power for the London 2012 Olympics if it is given final approval on schedule later this year.
Siemens is also considering whether to open a new factory manufacturing turbines in the UK following the closure of a plant by Vestas, the Danish turbine maker, on the Isle of Wight earlier this year.
It has shortlisted locations in Germany, Britain and Denmark, as these countries have the largest order books for offshore wind farms in Europe.

Andrew Clark in New York
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 September 2009 23.37 BST
The UN roadshow moves to Pittsburgh on Thursday and Friday, where Obama will face delicate negotiations over the global economy, bankers’ pay and climate change.
Top of the agenda will be the global economic slowdown. Obama has described the meeting as an opportunity for a “check-up” on countries’ initiatives to counter the recession. Along with Gordon Brown, he is keen for progress on a blueprint for international regulation of the financial markets.
But the US faces a confrontation with other European Union countries over calls to restrict multimillion-pound bonuses in the financial industry. Some European leaders want a cap on bankers’ pay, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has threatened to walk out of the summit unless the US moves on the issue. The White House, deeply reluctant to alienate Wall Street, favours far more modest measures to discourage pay deals viewed as encouraging excessive risk-taking.
Emphasising his environmental credentials, Obama has been tipped to use his position as the G20 host to call on member countries to end all subsidies for electricity generated by fossil fuels.
Anti-war, environmental and anti-poverty groups plan to demonstrate in Pittsburgh, with one group marching from a working-class suburb in a “people’s uprising”. Some 4,000 police reinforcements have been drafted. The city was chosen as the venue to showcase its strength in shifting from heavy manufacturing to production of hi-tech and green goods.

The latest regional update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species finds bad news for mammals living around the Mediterranean. One in six species in the area are now threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN report, “The Status and Distribution of Mediterranean Mammals,”—the first major assessment of mammals in this region. More than 250 experts contributed to the study. (Left: Iberian Lynx)

Of the 320 mammals assessed in the report, the IUCN now classifies in its Red List categories 3 percent as Critically Endangered, 5 percent as Endangered and 8 percent as Vulnerable to extinction. Of the 49 threatened species, 20 (41 percent) are unique to the region.

In addition, the IUCN found that 8 percent of Mediterranean mammals are Near Threatened, and 3 percent are Extinct or regionally Extinct.

Habitat loss and degradation are the reasons that 90 percent of these species have become endangered or threatened. “We need international action to protect key areas and preserve natural habitats to ensure we don’t lose the rich biodiversity in this area,” said IUCN’s Annabelle Cuttelod, co-author of the report, in a prepared statement. Other threats include hunting and invasive species. (Left: Mesopotamian fallow deer)

According to the IUCN, large herbivores, such as deer, and carnivores as well as rabbits and hares are particularly threatened. Eight species from these groups have already gone extinct in the Mediterranean region, including the Mesopotamian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) and the common hippopotamus (Right: Hippopotamus amphibius).

Small mammals such as rodents, bats, shrews, hedgehogs and moles—which the IUCN says make up the majority of Mediterranean mammals—are all on the decline thanks to pollution, urbanization, climate change and habitat loss due to agriculture.

How does all of this compare with other species in the Mediterranean? According to previous IUCN studies, 56 percent of Mediterranean endemic freshwater fishes, 56 percent of dolphins and whales, 42 percent of sharks and rays, 36 percent of crabs and crayfish, 29 percent of amphibians, 19 percent of dragonflies and damselflies, 13 percent of reptiles, and 5 percent of birds are considered to be threatened.

For purposes of this report, the Mediterranean region was defined to include Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, occupied Palestinian Territories, Portugal (including Madeira), the Republic of Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey and Western Sahara.

Source:
Scientific American, “One in six Mediterranean mammals in trouble“, accessed September 18, 2009

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