Britannia Radio

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

 http://chinaconfidential.blogspot.com/

Obama Accelerating Appeasement of Iran

Ahead of his meeting with the Saudi King and speech to "the Muslim world" from Egypt, U.S. President Barack Obama is accelerating appeasement of nuclear-arming, Islamist Iran. He told the BBC that Iran has a right to civilian nuclear energy; and he authorized U.S. embassies around the world to invite Iranian officials to U.S. Independence Day parties. 

AP reports:

In a new overture to Iran, the Obama administration has authorized U.S. embassies around the world to invite Iranian officials to Independence Day parties they host on or around July 4th.

A State Department cable sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates late last week said that U.S. diplomats could ask their Iranian counterparts to attend the festivities, which generally feature speeches about American values, fireworks, and, of course, hot dogs and hamburgers.

The notice said the posts "may invite representatives from the government of Iran" to the events, a State Department official said Tuesday, quoting from the document. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal communication.
"This is very much in line with our policy of trying to engage the Iranian government," department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters in Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was in the Honduras Tuesday, attending a gathering of the Organization of American States.

China Confidential analysts expect Iran's nuclear-armed ally, North Korea, to stage a major provocation on July 4.

# posted by Confidential Reporter @ 4:08 PM links to this post 

 

Chinese Media Criticizing North Korea

China's state-run media are running stories bluntly criticizing North Korea. 

Tuesday's English edition of the Global Times newspaper quotes Chinese North Korea analyst, Zhang Lianggui, as saying the catastrophe of a mishandled North Korean nuclear test is "an unprecedented threat" to China.

On Monday, the paper quoted Tsinghua University professor Sun Zhe as saying North Korea's nuclear test has apparently spoiled the traditional bonds between the two countries, saying Pyongyang no longer follows Beijing.