Bloomberg: When David Welch, the U.S. State Department’s top Middle East envoy, wakes each morning, he asks himself, “Is everything OK over there?”
Iran incites Cold War with U.S. in Lebanon roiled by Hezbollah
Poll: Iran, Iraq, China top US enemies
AP: China has replaced North Korea as one of the top three U.S. enemies, according to a poll of Americans.
CIA chief asserts Iran nuclear threat
Los Angeles Times: CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said Sunday that he believes Iran is still pursuing a nuclear bomb, even though the U.S. intelligence community, including his own agency, reached a consensus judgment last year that the Islamic Republic had halted its nuclear weapons work in 2003.
Harrowing ordeal in Iran has an unexpected benefit
Washington Post: While thousands of baseball fans tried desperately to get tickets to the Nationals’ season opener — scouring the Internet, vying for company seats or resorting to scalpers outside the ballpark — Elizabeth Montagne was able to rest easy.
US demands to see Swiss-Iran contract
AP: The U.S. has demanded to see a Swiss contract for natural gas supplies from Iran to see whether it violates an American sanctions law against Tehran, the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland said Sunday.
Iraqi troops find cache of Iranian-made rockets south of Baghdad
AP: Iraqi soldiers uncovered a cache of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing roadside bombs Saturday in an apartment building occupied by Shiite militia members south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
Gordon Brown accused by US adviser over ‘hasty troop withdrawal’ in Basra
Sunday Telegraph: British forces became embroiled in the fight to wrest control of Basra from Iranian-backed militias yesterday, as a senior US military adviser accused Gordon Brown of failing “as an ally” in his desire for a hasty withdrawal of troops.
CIA chief says Iran has nuclear weapons drive
AFP: CIA chief Michael Hayden expressed his personal belief Sunday that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, but also stood by the agency’s assessment that the program was suspended in 2003.
Hunt for Dorset exile in Iran arms probe
Daily Echo: A wealthy Dorset businessman is today at the centre of an international investigation in which it is alleged he made millions of pounds illegally selling aircraft parts to Iran.
Moqtada al-Sadr in seminary in Iran’s Qom
Sunday Telegraph: Be it fighting the occupation, sectarian bloodletting, or internecine squabbling with his fellow Shia, the fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has waged war on almost every front in Iraq’s turbulent past five years.
