Although the announced Qom facility puts Iran no closer to producing a hypothetical nuclear weapon …
- Keeping Iran Honest (Guardian)
- Fmr. UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter Warns Against “Politically Motivated Hype†on Iran Nuke Program (Democracynow)
… The Obama administration has placed the burden of proof on Iran to demonstrate their ambition is to create nuclear energy rather than secret nuclear weapons:
- Iran Offers Conflicting Messages (LA Times)
Improved intelligence may serve to help Obama secure his primary objective to destroy Al-Qaeda without the need for a troop surge in Afghanistan:
- Success Against al-Qaeda Cited (Washington Post)
Not all experts are quick to dismiss the comparison between Iran and Iraq circa 2002; Gary Sick believes that “Iran might intend to stop short of building a weapon while creating ‘breakout capability'”
Hamas will provide video evidence that Shalit is still alive in exchange for the release of 20 Palestinian women:
General Ray Odierno expects the military withdrawal to be complete by September 2010:
- US ‘to Speed Up Iraq Withdrawal’ (Al Jazeera)