IAEA report on Iran

The latest IAEA report on Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which covers developments since Dr. ElBaradei´s report of 30 August 2007, is available.

The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding

The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding is a new cross-disciplinary journal devoted to academic and practitioner analysis of international intervention with the purpose of strengthening state capacities.

Statebuilding – constructing or reconstructing institutions of governance capable of providing citizens with physical and economic security – is widely held to be one of the most pressing policy questions facing the international community today. Those concerned with such issues cross the political spectrum. They include political realists who argue that there is more to fear from failing states than from conquering ones. They also embrace activists who see the dysfunction of state institutions as lying at the heart of the global poverty trap. Indeed, it is the intersection of these concerns on the part of the security and development communities that has made state-building a core policy focus across the policy agendas of major Western states, international institutions and international NGOs.

From post-conflict governance, in places like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, to international support for weak states, under the state capacity-building programmes of the US government’s Millennium Challenge Account, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s poverty reduction strategies, or the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, to the European Union enlargement strategies of ‘member-state building’ in the Balkans, the policies and programmes of statebuilding are proving central to the future of global politics (…).

More information and the TOC of the first issue on the Journal website.

An Interview of Noam Chomsky

The Journal of Contemporary Asia (vol. 37, n. 4) contains an interesting interview of Noam Chomsky on US foreign policy, mainly in Iraq. The document is available at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/papers/RJOC_37_4_2007.pdf.

State of Emergency in Pakistan

From a Press Statement of the U.S. Department of State about State of Emergency in Pakistan : “The United States is deeply disturbed by reports that Pakistani President Musharraf has taken extra-constitutional actions and has imposed a state of emergency. A state of emergency would be a sharp setback for Pakistani democracy and takes Pakistan off the path toward civilian rule. President Musharraf has stated repeatedly that he will step down as Chief of Army Staff before re-taking the presidential oath of office and has promised to hold elections by January 15th. We expect him to uphold these commitments and urge him to do so immediately. The United States stand with the people of Pakistan in supporting a democratic process and in countering violent extremism. We urge all parties to work together to complete the transition to democracy and civilian rule without violence or delay”.

Al-Moallem delivers a speech at Iraq’s Neighboring Countries Meeting in Istanbul

Istanbul, (SANA) – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem affirmed on Saturday the importance of the Iraq Neighboring Countries Conference held in Istanbul with the participation of all the parties concerned to solve the dangerous situation in Iraq.

In a speech delivered at the 2nd Expanded International Meeting of Iraq Neighboring Countries, Mr. al-Moallem renewed Syria’s commitment to preserving the integrity of Iraq’s land and people, affirming the rejection of division, stressing the need to guarantee the sovereignty, independence of Iraq and its Arab and Islamic identity.

Mr. al-Moallem pointed out that maintaining the unity of Iraq is based on many things, most important of which is the national reconciliation based on respecting the will of the Iraqi people, expressing Syria’s readiness to participate in pushing the reconciliation forward.

The Foreign Minister also warned against the dangers of dividing Iraq, saying that Syria is following up the dangerous developments in Iraq which could threaten the entire region. He underlined the need for all parties in Iraq, the Middle East and the world to cooperate in order to solve this dangerous situation (see full article).

The OSCE and the Georgian-Ossetian conflict

VIENNA, 30 October 2007 – Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli told the OSCE’s Permanent Council today that his country welcomed the Organization’s role in efforts to resolve the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

He argued that the Joint Control Commission (JCC), a negotiation mechanism co-chaired by the Georgian, South Ossetian, North Ossetian and Russian sides and in which the OSCE Mission to Georgia participates, had been immobilized.

“Decisions are not made and implementation is impossible, because the format and the separatists themselves constantly reject initiatives and proposals,” he said.

He added that the negotiations held under the commission were prolonging the conflict.

“The Georgian government does not reject the JCC. In fact, we welcome the role of the OSCE as part of our national effort to unite our country. That is why we have repeatedly come to this venue, offering serious proposals,” he said. “But in plain terms, it is not enough. And it will not bring us peace.” (from the website of OSCE). 

IAEA head urges full transparency from Iran

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters, October 29, 2007) – The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday Iran’s agreement on a plan to resolve questions about its nuclear program was important but “active cooperation and transparency” would be key to its success.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Mohamed ElBaradei, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it was regrettable that Iran had not suspended uranium enrichment and was continuing to build a heavy water reactor at Arak, contrary to Security Council decisions.

He said Iran had recently provided additional information and access to resolve “a number of outstanding issues, such as the scope and nature of past plutonium experiments.”

“While the agency so far has been unable to verify certain important aspects relevant to the scope and nature of Iran’s nuclear program, Iran and the secretariat (of the IAEA) agreed in August on a work plan for resolving all outstanding verification issues,” ElBaradei said (see full article).

America’s hostile policies doomed to failure

“The American hostile policies against Iranian nation and its legal institutions are in violation to the international norms and are doomed to failure,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Sayed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Thursday (see full IRIB article).

Iraqi Foreign Minister Receives his Turkish Counterpart in Baghdad

From the Iraqi Foreign Ministry website : Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari received at the Ministry headquarters his Turkish counterpart, Mr. Ali Baba Jan and the delegation accompanying him on 23/10/2007, formal negotiations between Iraq and Turkey were held and bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to deal with the activities of terrorist organizations were discussed to address the disturbance in the good historical relations between the Iraqi and Turkish peoples. The two ministers stressed the importance of adopting dialogue and political means and the use of appropriate procedural order to maintain security in the two countries.

Minister Zebari welcomed the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister and stressed Iraq’s desire to resolve the current crisis and to address outstanding problems through diplomatic means and explained that the Iraqi government is fully prepared to solve border problems and fight together against terrorism that is a threat to both countries.

Minister Zebari stressed that Iraq would not allow the PKK, or any other side to poison relations between the two countries, and pointed out that an Iraqi high-level security and technical delegation would visit Ankara to hold talks with Turkish officials to achieve practical and effective “solutions”

On his part the Turkish minister expressed his government’s keenness to maintain security, stability, unity and territorial integrity of Iraq, adding that Turkey is determined to use dialogue and diplomatic means and that the military option is final a mean, because the security of Turkish citizens comes first and therefore the negotiation and cooperation to fight against terrorism is something that both countries are keen on (see full document).

Lithuania regrets that political motives hinder to aid residents of Tskhinvali

From a Statement of the Lithuanian MFA, October 18, 2007 : On 16 October, experts of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lithuanian Embassy to Georgia, responsible for the implementation and monitoring of development cooperation projects, were not allowed to enter Tskhinvali. In this territory the water supply system is being restored out of the funds that are designated by Lithuania and other OSCE countries. Lithuania has allocated 100000 euros for the project.

 The OSCE mission to Georgia, which organised the visit of experts, was given merely political motives. 

Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets that residents of Tskhinvali will suffer from such a decision, as the water supply infrastructure in Tskhinvali is time-worn and they often lack water.

This decision violates the rights of Lithuania – an international donor – to control and monitor projects that are being implemented out of Lithuania’s funds. Therefore, in the future Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not discount the possibility of not funding projects that are being artificially impeded in the settlements in South Ossetia, which currently cannot be fully controlled by Georgian authorities (see full announcement).