Date

PALESTINE

Tale of Two Mahmouds

Security Council vote on Palestinian membership

by Guive Mirfendereski
22-Sep-2011 (12 comments)
On the basis of the reported stories in the media, Mahmoud Abbas will tender to the Secretary-General a document whereby Palestine will seek membership in the United Nations. Reports indicate that the U.S. will veto that request in the Security Council and Abbas will turn next to the General Assembly to admit Palestine to the United Nations as an “observer State.” This latter outcome will still be politically significant as it will recognize Palestine as a sovereign State, like the Holy See>>>

PALESTINE

Do not veto

Terms for establishing a two-state solution

by Alon Ben-Meir
22-Sep-2011 (one comment)
The failure to reengage in negotiations before Mahmoud Abbas presents his resolution to the UN General Assembly or to modify any resolution passed by the UN to produce positive momentum will usher in a period of instability with unpredictable consequences for all parties: the United States, Israel and the Palestinians. First, the clear consequences of the UN plan are reduced influence of the United States in the Middle East -- a de facto vote of no confidence in the Obama administration>>>

FRAUD

اختلاس نجومی و تصفیه حکومتی

مخالفان احمدی‌نژاد با اطمینان از دستگیری قریب الوقوع مشایی سخن می‌گویند

by Hossein Bagher Zadeh
22-Sep-2011 (3 comments)
اهمیت اختلاس اخیر، که آن را از موارد دیگر متمایز می‌کند، در دو چیز است. یکی رقم نجومی و بی سابقه آن که تصور مقدار آن حتا برای بسیاری از ایرانیانی که با مشقت زندگی روزانه خود را می‌گذرانند بسیار مشکل است. دوم این که به دلیل ارتباط نزدیک متهم اول این اختلاس با دفتر رییس جمهور، پای قوه مجریه مستقیما در این امر به میان کشیده شده و موضوع به یک حربه سیاسی تبدیل شده است>>>

PERSEPOLIS

Heritage Hunters

Trying to cash in on what Darius and Xerxes left us!?

by Ari Siletz
22-Sep-2011 (58 comments)
Just last week the NIAC news email brought good tidings that some of the Persepolis tablets have been rescued, apparently through clever use of a legal technicality. Lawyers defending the tablets in Massachusetts successfully argued that the plaintiffs couldn’t prove that the items actually belong to the IRI. To get more detail on the temporarily good news I talked on the phone with NIAC president Trita Parsi. NIAC has been involved in the tablet rescue efforts, leading where it can and assisting where it can>>>