The International Atomic Energy Agency’s recent report has unleashed a torrent of analysis. The report has not actually been published yet–it has only been sent to the governments of the member states. So virtually everything we know about the report is filtered through national governments that have “leaked” excerpts from the report. This approach to information is obviously dangerous. Paul Pillar, one of the most sober and rigorous analysts of the reasons for invading Iraq in March 2003 (he worked for the CIA and left the Agency after the war began–he was also a close personal friend of mine in college), has written a very thoughtful essay on what he has gleaned from these secondary sources. It was published in the National Interest, a noted conservative journal, and raises some very important questions.
The IAEA Report has now been published. You can access it here.
The economic situation in Europe settled down a bit today. The appointment of Papademos in Greece and the rumors that Monti will likely be the next leader in Italy eased much of the nervousness. Monti is a former member of the European Central Bank and thus continues the movement toward “technocratic” leaders as opposed to political leaders. There is, however, an underlying concern within Europe and I suspect that this lull is temporary. Attention is now shifting to the finances of France.
It appears as if the Palestinian bid for UN membership is likely to fail, even after its success in gaining membership in UNESCO. It is difficult to assess what kind of setback this represents for the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas. Obviously, he will be weakened by this failure, but whether that weakness will translate into a dramatic decline in his support in the West bank is unclear.
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