Iran

In this "pilot" edition of New America's new weekly podcast, Media Relations Manager Kate Brown sits down with Flynt Leverett to discuss his views on relations with Iran, the latest negotiations, and his recent dinner with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The MP3 recording is available below.  For more on Leverett, please click here.

The Kuwait Times and Middle East Times are reporting that Kuwait has activated its Emergency War Plan in response to the deployment of two additional U.S. strike groups to the Persian Gulf, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the U.S.S. Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group.

The Middle East Times is saying that Kuwait is preparing for a scenario in which hostilities break out in response to a U.S. naval blockade of the Iranian coast.

However, oil prices continue to drop... 

Associated Press (08/06) cites William Hartung on potential cooperation with China on energy security.
Washington Post (08/06) quotes Flynt Leverett on Iran's continuing uranium enrichment.
National Interest (08/01) cites Peter Bergen on Washington's evolving strategy against terrorism.
Somerville Journal (08/01) quotes Daniel Levy's analysis on Israel negotiating through Turkey and Egypt.

PRWeb (07/23) quotes Peter Bergen in a critique of Egypt's government.
National Interest (07/23) features Flynt Leverett discussing the need for engagement with Iran.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (07/22) cites Steve Clemons on growing institutionalization of the ‘08 election.
Washington Post (0720) quotes Flynt Leverett on the Bush Administration's talks with Iran.
Politico (07/18) responds to Steve Clemons' criticisms of Obama's Brussels oversight.
Israel National News (07/16) cites Flynt Leverett on the collapse of the U.S. economy vis-à-vis the Middle East.

Assessing the latest round of talks with Iran, it's clear that the old strategy of "surrender first, then we negotiate," has failed. In ASP's latest video op-ed, Senior Fellow Flynt Leverett says now it is up to Undersecretary William Burns to see if "pre-negotiations" or talks about talks, can sketch out a viable, durable and comprehensive platform for a new U.S.-Iran relationship.

I'm still looking for what is new and more sophisticated about Barack Obama's New York Times opinion article, My Plan For Iraq. Maybe the answer is that there is little new here, except for the news hook provided by the Maliki government.

Steve Clemons has a good overall assessment of the article at The Washington Note. I'm going to focus on a few items I think are essential that I want Senator Obama to address.

The overall problem I see with this statement of Iraq policy is that it is too focused on the troop issue, not enough on the twisted politics of the Persian Gulf. Clausewitz is still right: war is the extension of politics by other means. In order to really get the troops out of Iraq, the next president will have to fundamentally change the politics of Iraq and of the region. I just do not see Senator Obama really willing to go there, publicly. That is why his plan requires such a potentially large follow-on force.

A leading member of Parliament in Iran is calling on the government to submit its economic plan directly to the public via referendum.

Guardian (06/04) quotes Steve Clemons on Hillary Clinton's potential Senate Majority Leader ambitions.
The Moderate Voice (06/03) cites Daniel Levy on the Gaza Strip's growing international isolation.
LA Times (05/31) quotes Jeffrey Lewis on Syria's nuclear secrecy.
New York Times (05/30) mentions Peter Bergen in a discussion of the issue of Iranian containment.

The New Republic (05/28) features Peter Bergen analyzing the jihadist revolt against Osama Bin Laden.
Afrik.com (05/27) cites Steve Clemons on purges occurring in the Obama and McCain campaigns.
NewsHour (05/27) interviews Flynt Leveret on U.S. engagement with Iran.
Tehran Times (05/25) mentions Steve Clemons on negotiations with Hamas.
The Globalist (05/23) features Parag Khanna discussing the growing international influence of the E.U.

The Washington Post (05/08) features Peter Bergen savaging Morgan Spurlock's new documentary.
Wired Magazine (05/07) quotes Jeffrey Lewis on the dynamics of space warfare
The Orion (05/07) cites Afshin Molavi on the pressures within Iranian culture