Council on Foreign Relations

- Iranian president agrees to nuclear cooperation
- President Obama requests provincial analysis on Afghanistan
- Zimbabwe expels UN rights investigator
- EU leaders differ over Tony Blair's prospects as EU president

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has agreed to cooperate (NYT) with world powers on its nuclear program but vowed not to retreat "one iota" from Iran's nuclear rights. Ahmadinejad spoke in the northeastern city of Mashad ahead of the government's formal response to the United Nations proposal for the country to send low enriched uranium to Russia and France for processing. Iran's state-run Al Alam Arabic-language television station reported that Tehran has sent its formal response to to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, though officials have not confirmed the report.

Ahmadinejad said the West had shifted its stance (LAT) from "confrontation to cooperation" because of Iran's "resistance against enemies."

Iranian officials have suggested in recent days that they wanted to amend the proposal, possibly by decreasing the amount of uranium shipped abroad or by lengthening the timetable. Meanwhile, international inspectors visiting Iran's nuclear facility near the city of Qom returned to Vienna today.

Analysis

In Foreign Policy, Hillary Mann Leverett says the United States needs to recognize that Iran is capable of negotiating in an "active and constructive way" over its nuclear program.

CFR's Richard Haass asserts that Iran's political character--not just its capability--should define the international community's response to its nuclear ambitions. 

In a CFR interview, David Albright says the preliminary agreement by which Iran will ship its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further processing "allows time for negotiations" to get Iran to freeze its nuclear program, but warns Iran might still block the implementation of the plan.

Background

A CFR Backgrounder outlines Iran's nuclear program.

Iraqi officials arrested (AP) sixty-one army officers and security officials over the Sunday bombings in Baghdad that killed 155 people.

Officials did not indicate if those arrested were suspected of involvement in the blasts or of failing to protect the city.

CFR's Stephen Biddle warns of the consequences of U.S. forces withdrawing too early from Iraq.

The New York Times reports that the United States has sent hundreds of millions of dollars in arms and equipment to Pakistani forces in recent months in preparations for Pakistan's military campaign in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan.

Pakistani officials have sought to downplay the aid because of growing anti-American sentiment in the country.

Afghanistan: President Barack Obama has requested a province-by-province analysis (WashPost) of Afghanistan to help him determine which regions require the most international assistance and how many additional U.S. troops to send there. The request for detailed information indicates the administration's focus on strengthening partnerships with Afghanistan's local leaders and militias.

The United States and China met Thursday (Sydney Morning Herald) in China's eastern city of Hangzhou for the second day of talks over trade disputes and climate change. The two countries said climate change would be addressed before the December global climate change summit in Copenhagen.

Indonesia: The seventy-eight Sri Lankan refugees being housed on an Australian customs ship have refused to leave the ship (BBC), despite Indonesia's decision to accept the asylum seekers in a deal with the Australian government. Indonesia's foreign ministry said Indonesia will have to expel the asylum seekers if the stand-off continues.

Officials in Zimbabwe denied (Reuters) United Nations torture expert Manfred Nowak into the country and forced him to board a plane to South Africa Thursday.

Nowak expressed concern about torture in Zimbabwe and recommended the UN Human Rights Council "take necessary action" after arriving in South Africa.

Mozambique: Mozambique's president Armando Guebuza and Mozambique's liberation party are expected to win (WSJ) Wednesday's presidential and parliamentary elections, a sign that liberation politics are still popular in southern Africa.

The Obama administration defended (WashPost) the U.S. government's swine flu campaign on Wednesday amid growing public frustration about the shortage of shots. Officials said millions more doses will become available soon.

Cuba: The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly against (AP) the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, emphasizing global opposition to the forty-seven-year-old embargo policy.  Global representatives said the policy was cruel to ordinary Cubans and counter to international law.

European Union leaders meet Thursday (EU Observer) for a two-day summit to try and reach consensus on a climate change deal ahead of December's global climate change summit in Copenhagen. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said he does not think a final deal could be reached (BBC) at Copenhagen.

EU Presidency: European leaders are divided (Telegraph) over the prospect of Tony Blair becoming the first president of the European Union. Some argue that the United Kingdom should not hold the presidency because it is not part of the Eurozone and that Blair is untrustworthy because of his role in the Iraq war.

A new report by the Carnegie Endowment finds that the structure of international democracy aid, especially aid from the United States, needs to be reformed as governments become increasingly hostile towards it.