In an article published in a British newspaper, the source of the information that led the Bush Administration to conclude that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction in 2003 has admitted that his story was a lie. His justification was that the lie led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. But his lie also led to the deaths of over 100,000 people (at the very least). We should keep this story in mind as stories circulate about the nuclear program of Iran.
Despite earlier assurances, the Muslim Brotherhood has announced that it will be fielding a candidate in the Egyptian elections. Ths candidate is generally regarded as a less moderate member of the Brotherhood, but I will freely admit that I am not in any position to make a judgment on that assessment. The change in policy, however, does increase the likelihood that the US and Israel will regard Egypt with more suspicion. I will watch more carefully to try to find out the reaction within Egypt.
Unemployment in Europe has reached an all-time high. The news was not unexpected, but it suggests that world economic growth will slow down this year. The US and China are apparently still growing according to the index typically used (the Purchasing Manufacturers Index). WHether they will pull Europe up, or whether Europe will pull the others down is the big question for 2012.
World Politics News 
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