Quality Leadership Weblog :-)

In Interview, Obama Talks Of ‘New Approach’ To Iran, (New York Times)…Brian Knowlton, Jan 11, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama addressed some of the most delicate foreign policy issues over the weekend, confirming that he intended to pursue a clear policy of engagement with Iran and to press immediately for peace in the Middle East.

U.S. Rejected Aid For Israeli Raid On Iranian Nuclear Site(New York Times)…David E. Sanger. Jan 10, 2009. President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage [...]

What Iran Wants, (Washington Post)…Ray Takeyh, Dec 29, 2008.
After an eight-year struggle over whether to engage Iran, the United States may finally be on the verge of launching a direct dialogue with its perennial Middle Eastern adversary. Washington has a long list of grievances to discuss, from sponsoring terrorism to the nuclear issue. The success [...]

US Seeks Answers From Russia On Missile Sales To Iranians, (Boston Globe)…Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press, Dec 23, 2008.
US officials said yesterday that they want answers from Russia on whether it is selling advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a move the United States insists could threaten American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Panel Cites ‘Tipping Point’ On Nuclear Proliferation, (Washington Post)…Walter Pincus, Dec 16, 2008.
The development of nuclear arsenals by both Iran and North Korea could lead to “a cascade of proliferation,” making it more probable that terrorists could get their hands on an atomic weapon, a congressionally chartered commission warned yesterday.

Rice Presses Arabs About Iran, (Washington Times)…Betsy Pisik and Barbara Slavin, Dec 17, 2008
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday briefed a half-dozen key Arab states on U.S.-led efforts to stem Iran’s nuclear program but achieved no new consensus on how to prevent Iran from developing the technology for a nuclear weapon.

Israel Warns U.S. Of Iranian Nuke Attack, (USA Today)…Unattributed, December 18, 2008, Pg. 7

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it could try to attack the United States.
Barak, who spoke Wednesday at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, said the world should press [...]

No Rush On Iran, (Los Angeles Times)…Hossein Askari, Dec 13, 2008
A bevy of foreign policy experts are pressing Barack Obama to move quickly on his promise to “engage in aggressive personal diplomacy” with Iran. He’d be better off first taking a long, deep breath and allowing Iran’s economic crisis to take its toll on the [...]

U.S. Says Drop In Iraq Deaths Tied To Iranian Arms Cutback, (Los Angeles Times)…Julian E. Barnes
A marked decline in the number of explosive devices coming into Iraq from neighboring Iran has helped reduce the frequency of deadly attacks against U.S. service members, a top U.S. general said Thursday.

U.S. Officials Say Iran Contracted For Russian SA-20 SAMs. (Aerospace Daily & Defense Report)…David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie, Dec 11, 2008
Senior U.S. government officials independently confirm that Iran is now “on contract” for the Russian SA-20 Gargoyle strategic SAM system, irrespective of Kremlin protestations to the contrary.

Tehran’s deployment of such a system would mark [...]