INTER PRESS SERVICE

If you're feeling increasingly confused about whether the administration of President George W. Bush is determined to go to war with Iran or whether it is instead truly committed to a diplomatic process with its European allies to reach some kind of modus vivendi, you're not alone.

POLITICS: Iraq Occupation Depends on Sadr – and Iran

For many months, the George W. Bush administration has been complaining that Iranian meddling in Iraq is a threat to the country's stability and to U.S. troops. The irony of this publicity campaign over Tehran's alleged bid to undermine the occupation is that Iran may well be the main factor holding up a showdown between militant Shiites and U.S. forces.

POLITICS: Iran Defends Nuke Programme at General Assembly

By Haider Rizvi

"If the governments of the United States or the United Kingdom, who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the organs of the United Nations can take them to account?"

POLITICS-US: Bush Clears Task Force to Meet With Iranians

While his handlers worked assiduously Tuesday to ensure that U.S. President George W. Bush did not run into his Iranian nemesis, Mahmood Ahmedinejad, in the corridors of the U.N., a legendary fixer for the Bush family announced that the White House had cleared him to meet with a "high representative" of Tehran's government.

POLITICS: Indo-US Nuclear Deal Tests Japan’s Policies

By Suvendrini Kakuchi

Japan's nuclear power industry is under the spotlight again as the world debates the nuclear proliferation controversy in Iran and North Korea and Tokyo comes under pressure from the United States to support its own nuclear cooperation pact with India.

POLITICS-US: Neo-Con Favourite Declares World War III

Two years before the 2008 presidential election, Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, is trying desperately to grab the national spotlight by declaring he'd be a lot tougher than the George W. Bush in prosecuting what he calls "World War III".

ASIA-9/11: GWOT Leaves Region in Turmoil

Five years after U.S. President George W. Bush launched his "global war on terrorism" (GWOT), the world has become more unsafe, more divided, more strife-prone, more paranoid, and ironically, more vulnerable to terrorism.

POLITICS: EU and Iran Find Their Roles Reversed

Scheduled talks between Javier Solana, high representative for the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Iran's National Security Advisor Ali Larijani were postponed Wednesday over disagreements on the nature of the exchange - would the parties discuss or negotiate?

POLITICS-US: Intel Estimate on Iran Blocks Neo-Con Plans

In the struggle over U.S. policy toward Iran, neoconservatives in the George W. Bush administration spoiling for an attack on Iran's nuclear sites have been seeking to convince the public that the United States must strike before an Iranian nuclear weapons capability becomes inevitable.

POLITICS: Snubbed by US, Pakistan Doing Nuclear Deal With China

Pakistan's growing nuclear energy needs and its leaders' determination to look to China for investment and know-how in the field are proving an important incentive for the latter's ambitions of becoming a global player in the nuclear power industry.

RIGHTS-IRAN: On Bail, Jahanbegloo Tells US to Let Iranians Be

One of Iran's best-known intellectuals Ramin Jahanbegloo, who was released on bail this week after spending four months in prison on charges of compromising national security, has said it would be best for the United States and its institutions to avoid contacting prominent Iranians.

POLITICS: Diplomacy Intensifies on Iran’s Nuke Programme

By Haider Rizvi

As the U.N. Security Council deadline elapsed for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment-related activities Thursday, the United States renewed threats of a possible international economic blockade of Tehran.

POLITICS-US: Neo-Cons Denounce Khatami Visit as “Appeasement”

Next week's visit to the United States of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has been strongly denounced by hard-line neo-conservatives and other hawks here as "appeasement".

RELIGION: More Politics Than Faith at Global Meet

While delegates to the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) keep highlighting the value of religion in resolving conflicts, the discussions at the 8th assembly, underway here, are decidedly political.

POLITICS-US: Republican Report Hypes Iran Threat

In what some critics describe as a replay of the run-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Republican chairman of the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives has released a report suggesting Iran may acquire nuclear weapons much more quickly than U.S. intelligence agencies believe.

IRAN: Europe Has Six Days to Resolve Suspension Dilemma

After months of bickering over arbitrary deadlines, the Iranian government delivered its long-awaited response to the P5+1 package punctually on the eve of its self-imposed deadline Tuesday.

IRAN: Tough Barganing Ahead Over Nuclear Issue

Iran's response to the nuclear incentives package offered by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) plus Germany (P5+1) is a sign that there could be tough bargaining ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline for this country to stop uranium enrichment or face sanctions.

POLITICS: Bush Ensured Iran Offer Would Be Rejected

Even before Iran gave its formal counter-offer to ambassadors of the P5+1 countries (the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China) Tuesday, the George W. Bush administration had already begun the process of organising sanctions against Iran.

POLITICS-INDIA: Nuclear Deal With US Clears Domestic Opposition

The controversial United States-India nuclear cooperation agreement has overcome a major domestic obstacle in the form of a threat by India's major opposition parties to press for a Parliamentary resolution which would have tied the Manmohan Singh government's hands in final-stage bargaining with Washington.

MIDEAST: Was Israel’s Aim to Clear Path for US War on Iran?