What if Jailed Reporter Dies in Iran ?

Telegraph: Reports on the worsening medial condition of Roxana Saberi the jailed Iranian-American reporter. It is reported that due to her hunger strike she has grown very weak. This is a test for the Obama Administration, if the reporter dies any talks with Iran are off the table. The Obama Administration has two fronts to deal with, the PR and the policy, if an American Reporter dies in Iran while in custody the elite media will not give the Obama Administration any slack, a very simple reason they could be next if they get sent to Iran. On policy the Republicans and Conservatives will be all over Obama, the President should recall that it was Foreign Policy that bought down Jimmy Carter and not the economy. The release of the torture memos and the confusing signals over the Obama policy has made the President look weak, with reporters held in North Korea and Iran, the movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the missile launch by North Korea, the threat of a nuclear armed Iran and the latest swine flue news Obama has a lot on his plate. If a Ms Saberi was to die in Iran, it would make any talks with Iran out of the question, Obama cant be seen to award the death of an American Journalist. Thus the Obama Administration needs to work back channels to get the reporter out of Iran, it is time for moderate conservative in Iran to show if they really want a better relationship with the USA. Thus the USA should place pressure on Iran to release the reporter or face isolation and the threat from Israel.

Diplomatic Snub from Pakistan President to UK PM Brown

The Times: Reports on the diplomatic snub to UK PM Gordon Brown by the President of Pakistan. The President cancelled a joint news conference with Mr Brown. Mr Brown should have been more diplomatic about the terrorism that the UK and Pakistan face from the badlands of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Government of President Zardari is weak, the appeasement of the Taliban/Terrorists in the Swat Valley and the move by the Taliban in other parts of Pakistan show that the hold on power by Islamabad is weak. The USA forced the the Army of Pakistan to take action against the Taliban, the fact that the Taliban got within sixty miles of Islamabad was a threat to Pakistan and Western Security. Thus Obama Administration might have to send troops in to the Swat Valley to remove the Taliban/Terrorists.

Safeguarding Iraq

The New York Times: Reports on the exceptions to the agreement between the USA and Iraq to have US troops out of Iraqi cities by the end of June. This is a wise move by the USA and the Iraqi government, the terrorists want to gain prestige with the impression that they have thrown the USA out of Iraq. The USA is in Iraq in till 2011, thus keeping troops as a rapid reaction force is a good idea, the closer the USA gets to the 2011 deadline the more attacks there will be, its up to the Iraqi government to crush the last groups of terrorists. The economic recession/depression, Iran threat, North Korea threat, the threat to the pro USA Government of Lebanon, the War in Afghanistan and the threat from the Taliban in Pakistan and the medical scare of swine flue means that the US might need its troops in other operational theatres. Thus to quote JFK when he was talking about South Vietnam, it up to the Iraq to stand up, if it wants a semi Democracy this is its chance, the West has won the freedom for the people of Iraq, it up to to the people of Iraq to keep the peace.

UK PM Brown in Afghanistan and Pakistan

BBC News: Reports on the visit of the UK PM Gordon Brown to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The PM linked the chain of terrorism from the badlands of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to the UK. The UK PM has annoyed the President of Pakistan, with his comments that that Pakistan was the start of the chain of terrorism all the way to the UK. The comments it can be argued did not really help on the Diplomatic front, Brown should leave the critical comments to the USA. The PM should have stressed more the culture links, also the ideal of Democracy that both the UK and Pakistan share. Then stressed that both the UK and Pakistan are fighting a common enemy. This is why we leave diplomacy to the Foreign Office.