November 25, 2009 Netanyahu Announces Settlement Freeze, Shalit Deal On Hold

1July09

A Daily Analysis

November 29, 2009 Iran Seem to be Reacting Irrationally to World Pressure

Iran and the world seem to be heading on a collision course. Following their refusal to accept the proposal put forward by the group of five nations, the full plenum of the International Atomic Energy Committee voted overwhelming for a resolution demanding an immediate halt in Iranian activities. The vote was fully supported and partially drafted by the Chinese. Maybe President Obamas efforts in China and Russia have been more productive than he has received credit for. In the meantime the Iranians have responded by announcing that they will build 10 additional plants. Observers had expected that the Iranian government would prevaricate, delay and avoid confrontation, but so far they have been wrong. It is similar , in retrospect, to tryiing to understand why Saddam Hussien had not taken the actions to show that he did not have weapons of mass destruction, that would have avoided war. Without fully have an answer to this question, I would like to posit that we do not understand the workings of the Iranian government, especially a government that is under domestic political pressure. Acting in any way that might show weakness seems impossible for them and thus they are acting in ways that may not seem rational. Of course they could be an irrational actor on the world scene- This is what Newsweek was certainly intimating recently.

Take a look at last weeks Newsweek- the column by Jon Meacham on

Then read the article about the actual interrogation of the Newsweek reporter-

Finally read todays column by Thomas Friedman - It's frightening.