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The next 24-72 hours may be the most important in Iran's history. As Michael Ledeen posted yesterday, "...we can already say that the regime's intimidation was not successful. And you have to admire the courage of these young Iranians..." The events there are encouraging. We have heard of a demonstration yesterday with about 100,000 Iranians in the Pars region of the city of Tehran. This is a huge demonstration given that the regime was doing everything possible to keep people from gathering in this matter. We are continuing to hear of the regime’s jamming of the broadcasts in much of...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) backed away from intervention in Iranian politics on Wednesday, saying Washington should stay away from what he called a "family fight" between reformists and conservatives. Powell also reminded listeners in a radio interview that President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites) won elections and said that Iranian rulers might make concessions to the protest movement. The Bush administration annoyed the Iranian government last month by coming out strongly in support of student protests last month against Iran's clerical rulers. The protests included harsh criticism of Khatami, a moderate,...

In just 6 days (July 9th) the people of Iran are planning massive demonstrations events and strikes. On this date, 4 years ago, the regime brutally attacked peaceful student demonstrators while in their dorms. The result was the loss of life and liberty of hundreds of students, many of which are still unaccounted for. Once again, the regime has been threatening a major crackdown on the protesters. A major confrontation is just days away. Iran is a country ready for a regime change. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a country. This daily...

Officials in Zimbabwe hurled racial epithets at the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, yesterday, including branding him an "Uncle Tom" after his attack on President Robert Mugabe in the New York Times last week. In a deliberate echo of remarks last autumn by the entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte - who said that Mr Powell adopted a docile mien to preserve his status - Zimbabwe's official press called him a liar and a self-effacing servant of his white masters. The tirade appeared aimed at overshadowing the African tour next week by President Bush and other senior officials including Mr...

With economic diplomacy becoming central to India’s foreign policy, Indian diplomats will now have to spend time with corporate houses before they go for a foreign posting. The Ministry of External Affairs has approved a proposal to send IFS probationers for a 3-4 week attachment to select corporate houses for hands-on experience on corporate and business issues. The stint is expected to accustom them to the corporate environment. It is aimed at coordinating the functioning of Indian missions and MNCs and corporate houses. Besides this, officials believe, a stint with an MNC or a corporate house will help diplomats understand...

US vs Pyongyang: Watch RumsfeldBy Phar Kim Beng HONG KONG - As talks finally get under way between the United States and North Korea, the latter, which has made obstinacy and diplomatic misbehavior an art form, would do well to keep in mind the growing influence and staying power in Washington of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. With the US victory in Iraq all but declared, barely a year after a previous triumph in Afghanistan, Rumsfeld's influence has increased by several notches. Together with other neo-conservatives who urged the Iraq war, "Rummy", as he is affectionately known in Washington, is...

FR posted articles on UN Food for Oil program MASTER list THIS TOP ONE IS THE LATEST REPORT OUT OF THE USELESS NATIONS ON THE OIL FOR FOOD PROGRAM UN OIL FOR FOOD PROGRAM REPORT (what UN is really raking in) 2/22-28/03 UN deal leaves Iraq Kurds at Baghdad's mercy Oil, Food and a Whole Lot of Questions The Oil-for-U.N.-Jobs Program Kofi Annandersen: Enron-style accounting at the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program William Safire: Follow the money Bum's Rush for Butcher's Big, Bad Debts Don’t expect UN to clean up Iraq (a sane German alert!) U.N. crambles to Reclaim Role Amid Debate...

My [wife] caught a report by Fox News Channel's Eric Shawn about the U.N. oil-for-food program. This hasn't been picked up anywhere, but it will come as a blockbuster revelation for anyone wondering why the French, Germans and Russians stood in the way of liberating Iraq. This program was supposed to help the starving Iraqi people. Instead, it was a cash cow. This is why I always tell you: follow the money. Kofi Annan personally oversaw this program, and okayed requests under this program for things like laser light show equipment and cartoon making apparatus for Baghdad Bob. The United...

<p>Powell: "Where human rights and freedoms flourish, terrorists and tyrants do not thrive and conflict and chaos do not reign."</p> <p>WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Although noting some improvement, the State Department's annual human rights report once again accuses China of numerous, serious human rights abuses.</p>

Press reports, especially in North America, suggested that a deal between Ankara and Washington was just a question of money, using the metaphor of the bazaar to explain Turkish negotiating behavior. In the end, this description was shown to be ill-conceived and inaccurate. More was at stake than just the amount of money. Turkish leaders consistently said so, but no one in Washington seemed to hear them. The American administration also appeared to assume that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara could make its parliamentary deputies fall into line as easily as the Republican Party in the...

The Turkish parliament's failure this weekend to approve the basing of U.S. troops made headlines around the world, but the unreported backstory is how officials at the U.S. State Department have their fingerprints all over the mess in Ankara. With the margin of defeat so narrow — a mere four votes shy of a simple majority — State's unfortunate diplomacy in the past few months likely made the difference. Winning the support of Turkey for any Iraq invasion was the State Department's job and now many in the White House are wondering what went wrong. Turkey has been a reluctant,...

<p>SECRETARY of State Colin Powell put a snarky Iraqi reporter in his place the other day. The scribe tried to sandbag the statesman by asking, "Isn't it true that only 13 percent of young Americans can locate Iraq on a map?" "That may be true," Powell snapped. "You're probably right. But unfortunately for you, all 13 percent are Marines."</p>

<p>We Will Not Shrink From War Iraq has flouted the will of the world with its deceptions and empty claims.</p> <p>President Bush warned in his State of the Union address that "the gravest danger facing America and the world is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." Exhibit A is Saddam Hussein's Iraq. As the president said, we need only look at how Saddam has terrorized, oppressed and murdered his own people to understand his methods. And, perhaps most critically, the president confirmed that Iraq has open channels and ties to terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda.</p>

In Rare Public Dissent, Powell Says He Disagrees With Bush on University of Michigan Affirmative Action Case By Scott Lindlaw Associated Press Writer Published: Jan 19, 2003 WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he disagrees with President Bush's position on an affirmative action case before the Supreme Court. Powell, one of two black members of Bush's Cabinet, said he supports methods the University of Michigan uses to bolster minority enrollments in its undergraduate and law school programs. The policies offer points to minority applicants and set goals for minority admissions. "Whereas I have expressed my support...

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration outlined a program Thursday to help modernize Arab society, offering an initial contribution of $29 million and pledging to seek more from Congress and rich Arab countries. In the process, the administration hopes to deflect radicalism and combat illiteracy and poverty through scholarships and economic development. "We are adding hope to the U.S.-Middle East agenda. We are pledging our energy, our abilities and our idealism to bring hope to all God's children who call the Middle East home," Secretary of State Colin Powell said. "Hope begins with a paycheck," he said. "And that requires a...

08/12/2002 Byliner: Powell Says Sustainable Development is Compelling Issue for the United States (Powell article in special edition of U.N. publication) (2090) (This byliner by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared in an August 12 special edition of the United Nations Environment Program magazine "Our Planet" and is in the public domain. No republication restrictions.) (begin byliner) Only One Earth Colin L. Powell The World Summit on Sustainable Development comes barely 20 months after we welcomed in the new century. Despite the stories and images of trouble we read in our newspapers and view on our television screens, this...

Sustainable Development Called Security ImperativeWASHINGTON, DC, August 6, 2002 (ENS) - Sustainable development is a security imperative, writes Secretary of State Colin Powell in a special publication of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP will publish a special edition of its magazine, "Our Planet," to coincide with the upcoming World Summit for Sustainable Development, containing articles on environmental issues by a variety of international leaders, including Powell. In his article, Powell describes sustainable development as a "compelling moral and humanitarian issue" and says that delivering environmentally friendly development is vital for delivering a more stable world. "Poverty, environmental...

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell faces the delicate task of promoting the policies of the Bush administration while reassuring Asia that Washington has its interests in mind. In this exclusive interview, Powell describes how he sees the region's toughest problems United States Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 26 began his most extensive trip to Asia since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Hitting eight countries in eight days, Powell arrived with a message: American foreign policy is not unilateralist, nor is it single-minded in its war on terrorism. In an exclusive interview in Bangkok with...

Powell still plans to meet Palestinians   (Adds possible Israeli-Palestinian meeting) By Danielle Haas JERUSALEM, Aug 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Saturday he still hoped to meet Palestinian leaders next week despite a deadly bomb attack on an Israeli university that drew swift military retaliation from Israel. Powell condemned Palestinian attacks and mourned the five Americans and two Israelis who died in the Wednesday blast at a cafeteria of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, but said efforts to end 22 months of bloodshed must continue. "We can't walk away from it. We must continue to try to find...

MANILA, Philippines, Aug 03, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Stressing the need for multinational cooperation to fight terrorism, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Saturday he was pleased with the progress he has seen in Southeast Asia. Powell spoke at a news conference at the end of an eight-day, eight-nation tour of the region where Washington fears Muslim extremism could fester and provide al-Qaida with an alternative base after being driven out of Afghanistan. "In order to get these terrorists, not only al-Qaida, but other terrorists such as Abu Sayyaf, we have to work with our friends and...