Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 3.22.2006:

UN Security Council meeting on Iran postponed.

• ABC News reported that the U.N. Security Council postponed a meeting Tuesday on Iran's suspect nuclear program. The lack of any significant movement after 10 days could lead the Western nations to abandon the presidential statement, in favor of a resolution. This would force Russia and China to approve, abstain or veto action against Iran.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that with Russia opposed to any punishment for Iran, Britain has privately suggested that Tehran be offered a new package of incentives. The letter warned, "We are not going to bring the Russians and Chinese to accept significant sanctions [on Tehran] over the coming months, certainly not without further efforts to bring the Iranians around."
• The New York Times reported that drafters of a Security Council statement on Iran's nuclear program decided to revise it after a lengthy meeting of senior diplomats from six nations failed to overcome objections from China and Russia to terms being advanced by the United States and Europe.

US/Iran Talks on Iraq: a mistake?

• Reuters reported that President George W. Bush on Tuesday said the United States wants talks with Iran to make clear that attempts to spread sectarian violence in Iraq were unacceptable.
• Amir Taheri, New York Post criticized the US willingness to talk with the Iranians on Iraq. He said this invitation bestows on it a stature that only a liberating power would normally have.
• Michael Ledeen, AEI criticized President Bush's recent comments on Iran saying "there was no talk of democratic revolution. No mention that Iran is the leading sponsor of terrorism. No encouragement for the Iranian people."
• BBC News reported that Iran's supreme spiritual leader backed talks with the United States on the instability in Iraq.
  

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Colin Rubenstein, The Age argued why we must stop the Mullahs of Iran.
• Reuters reported that seven Iranian men taken hostage by a Sunni rebel group appeared in a video aired on Tuesday and urged Iran's authorities to help win their release.