Aug. 3, 2009

Endorsement in Iran:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received the endorsement of the country's highest cleric Monday but the ceremony was notable for the lack of participants.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his formal endorsement, setting up Ahmadinejad's inauguration Wednesday to begin a second term as president.

Ahmadinejad was declared the official winner of the June 12 vote but political opponents have questioned the announced result. Protests flared in the immediate aftermath, with authorities inflicting many causalities among demonstrators.

Additional demonstrations have occurred since, including last week's gathering at the grave of a woman who was killed during a protest.

Families of protesters who died in detention claim bodies returned to them showed signs of torture. Opposition leaders said torture was used to elicit confessions from prisoners ahead of trials related to the protests.

Monday's ceremony with the supreme leader was missing several high-profile Iranian politicians. While it wasn't expected that Mir Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister who lost the election to Ahmadinejad, would show, that former Presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami were missing shows there are deep divides in the Tehran leadership.

Iran captures Americans, may soon have nuke:

Three U.S. tourists are in Iranian custody after wandering across the Iraq-Iran frontier.

Four U.S. citizens were hiking across northern Iraq when they reached the Iranian border, which isn't clearly marked in that section of the frontier. A fourth hiker had taken ill and wasn't with the group of three at the time of the arrest.

U.S. officials are working with Swiss diplomats, who handle relations between Iran and the United States since Washington doesn't have formal diplomatic contact with Tehran, to have the trio released.

Also, the Times of London cites intelligence sources as saying Iran has the technical knowledge to build a nuclear weapon and is awaiting a go-ahead from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to produce a bomb. The Times said it would take about a year from the time of the Khamenei OK until the Iranians would have a working device.

NATO focuses on Afghanistan:

New NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is making the fighting in Afghanistan and relations with Russia top alliance priorities.

Rasmussen, a former prime minister for Denmark, took over the NATO top leadership spot Monday with a speech outlining his agenda.

He wants to convince Russia that NATO, formed in 1949 in the face of USSR expansion but ostensibly defense pact against any external threat to members, that NATO isn't "directed against Russia."

As daunting as that sell will be, NATO's bigger immediate challenge is the rising violence in Afghanistan. There were more coalition forces deaths last month in Afghanistan than at any month since fighting began in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Seventy-four military personnel were killed, including 43 Americans and 22 Britons. August started off just as deadly, with more than 10 coalition deaths, including three U.S. soldiers. Fighting has grown more intense in the face of a coalition offensive in southern Afghanistan and militant attacks ahead of Aug. 20 elections in the country.

British members of Parliament said Sunday poor planning has played a role in the increase in causalities. A BBC report said the MPs also cited a lack of realistic strategy and no clear direction from civilian leaders as problems.

More 'Cash for Clunkers':

The U.S. Senate, in a week before heading off on a monthlong vacation, considers adding funds to the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Last week brought confusion to the program, which was so popular that it quickly went through the $1 billion allocated for it. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to give the program another $2 billion. The Senate votes this week on whether to go along.

The program offers consumers as much as $4,500 if they trade in an old car on a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. The idea is to get gas guzzlers off the road but also to get people into car dealerships and spend money to help turn the economy around.

Part of the confusion for consumers and dealers is the government bureaucracy that makes it unclear just how the program works. Opponents say this inability of the Obama administration to run a "tiny" $1 billion program shows the folly of allowing it to take over healthcare.

Still, with the program popular, the Senate will likely add the $2 billion to "Cash for Clunkers." The posturing related to healthcare will continue.

Clinton in Africa:

About a month after U.S. President Barack Obama stopped off in Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits the continent.

Clinton's itinerary calls for meetings in Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde. The trip begins Monday and the secretary is to return to Washington Aug. 14.

A State Department briefing said Clinton's goal is to "highlight and underscore the Obama administration's commitment to making Africa a priority in U.S. foreign policy."

That commitment shows the United States supporting "strong and sustainable democratic governments" while promoting economic development, public health and helping resolve conflict in Africa.