Washington Post: An international smuggling ring that sold bomb-related parts to Libya, Iran and North Korea also managed to acquire blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon, according to a draft report by a former top U.N. arms inspector that suggests the plans could have been shared secretly with any number of countries or rogue groups.
Smugglers had design for advanced warhead
A partnership with Iraq
Washington Post – Editorial: Though it was hardly noticed in Washington, Iraq's Shiite-led government sent a powerful message to Iran and to the Middle East last week.
Sadrists to back candidates outside bloc
AP: Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's followers won't field candidates under their movement's banner in upcoming provincial elections but will back sympathetic independents and candidates from other party lists, a spokesman said Sunday.
Iran denies connection to embassy threat
UPI: The Iranian government says it has nothing to do with a group that reportedly has threatened the United Arab Emirates embassy in Iraq.
Japanese tourist, seized by bandits in Iran, freed
AP: A Japanese tourist kidnapped by suspected bandits while traveling in southeastern Iran last year has been released.
Sadr group to boycott Iraq local elections
AFP: In a fresh blow to Iraq's embattled political process, the movement of hardline Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr said on Sunday it will boycott the provincial elections in October.
EU’s Solana urges swift Iranian response to nuclear offer
AFP: The quicker Iran responds to an offer from world powers aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff the better, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Monday.
Bush warns Brown over plan to cut Iraq force
The Observer: George Bush flies into London today with a warning for Gordon Brown not to announce a timetable for a British pull-out from Iraq, and expressing deep scepticism about the Prime Minister's high-profile strategy for bringing down world oil prices.
Bush says Iran spurns new offer on uranium
New York Times: President Bush accused Iran on Saturday of rejecting a new set of incentives to stop enriching uranium, only hours after the proposal received a cold shoulder when it was delivered by Western diplomats in Tehran.
Second batch of secret papers found on train
Sunday Times: A second set of secret government intelligence papers has been found on a commuter train, it was revealed last night. The Treasury files included an assessment of the weaknesses in the trade and banking systems in Iran that would-be terrorists could exploit to finance weapons of mass destruction.
