Topic: Iran

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Briefing Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile

President Obama said Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line' for US. Did he use sarin or any other chemical weapon against his own people?

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Panama arrests former CIA station chief sought by Italy in rendition case

Robert Lady was the CIA station chief in Milan when wanted Egyptian cleric Nasr was pulled from the streets there and sent back to Egypt where his lawyer says he was tortured.
Tragedy at sea puts Australia's refugee policies to the test

More than 800 people seeking asylum from places like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have died on the trip to Australia since 2009, including the recent drowning of a 1-year-old.
Reader recommendation: Let the Swords Encircle Me

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
Opinion US must not miss new opportunity to engage with Iran

For 30 years, the US and Iran have squandered engagement opportunities. President Obama – especially as US officials meet with allies in Brussels today to discuss next steps in nuclear negotiations with Tehran – should avoid a redux with Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rouhani.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From rules for rebels, to elevator cables, to an enchanting sci-fi world

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes rules for arming rebels, defense contractors may know more than our own government, buildings may get taller thanks to new elevator cables, a profile of a cyberwar general, and sci-fi brings magic back to the mundane.
Why Iran looks set to lighten up under Rohani

President-elect Rohani has been getting pushback from hardliners for his moderate stands. But he has backing in powerful corners.
Iran, Shiites' protector - sometimes

Iran sees itself as a key defender of Shiites in other countries, but only when strategically helpful.
Olive Press Home-cooking lures Palestinian expat home

The opportunity to own a restaurant in his homeland brought Mazen Saadeh back to the West Bank, where he is serving food that comes straight from his backyard.
Focus Iran's 'diplomat sheikh' brings new tone to nuclear talks

New Iranian President Hassan Rohani showed flexibility and a willingness to compromise when he was the country's top nuclear negotiator years ago.
Focus Iranian expectations soar after Rohani's election

The surprise election of Hassan Rohani has Iranians hoping for more freedom less confrontation, but the centrist cleric faces obstacles that could derail change.
Focus Hassan Rohani: What it means to be a centrist in Iran

Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani has the insider credentials needed for regime credibility and the reformist tendencies that could allow him to heal the rift with the US.
Energy Voices The consequences of 'extreme energy'

Proponents of fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline, and deep-offshore production all say that these are just other forms of 'oil' and 'clean-burning natural gas,' without explaining that these forms of 'extreme energy' have significantly worse impacts on the environment, Michael Klare, a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College, says in an interview with OilPrice.com.
The Monitor's View Brazil protests in a global trend

The Brazil protests follow those in Turkey and India, all three developing countries with established democracies. While the sparks for the protests differ, the theme is the same: Fix democracy; don't replace it.
Rohani vows to reset Iran's relations with the world

Iran's President-elect Hassan Rohani said his win was a 'victory for moderation' and vowed to soothe tensions with the US and factions inside Iran.
The Monitor's View Iran election's surprise winner

The unexpected victory of Hassan Rohani In Iran's presidential election confirms his hint that legitimacy lies with the people, not the turbaned cleric elite.
Israel's Netanyahu cautions against seeing big change in Iran

Israeli analysts, however, say that the election of a more moderate president in Iran will force Israel to adjust its public posture on the Islamic Republic.
Iran election: What does Hassan Rohani mean for the United States?

Iran's new president Hassan Rohani is considered a reform-minded moderate. But ruling clerics and the Revolutionary Guard remain in control of Iran's nuclear program and foreign affairs – including its close relationship with the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rival is Iran's new president

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sees his rival Hasan Rowhani elected as president of Iran. Is the political career of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over?
Hassan Rohani is Iran's next president. What will change?

Political moderate Hassan Rohani defeated a host of conservative challengers to win Iran's presidency. His style is a sharp contrast with that of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iran's supreme leader pushes Iranians to vote in defiance of US (+video)

Khamenei said that showing up at the polls to vote for a new president would defeat 'enemy' efforts to spread 'disappointment and pessimism.' Officials see turnout as key to government's legitimacy.
Opinion Could today's Iran election be a 1975 turning point?

It’s difficult to predict how Iranians will react to this election. The peeling back of even the veneer of political choice and change may be the last straw for Iranians and eventually lead to another uprising, just as the shah’s 1975 scrapping of political parties helped spur the 1979 revolution.
Global Viewpoint Why boycotting Iran’s presidential election is an act of integrity

In reality, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will decide Iran's presidential election. That is why actively boycotting this election would be an act to regain dignity as well as be a mass, nonviolent uprising that could end a regime that prolongs its existence by moving Iran from crisis to crisis.
Backchannels Wusses, US foreign policy, and the horrific death toll in Syria

Former President Bill Clinton suggested President Obama was being a 'wuss' over intervention in Syria as the UN reported the death toll has reached 93,000.
Backchannels Is Iran winning in Syria?

An Iran-backed victory for the Syrian regime may give Iran more regional influence, but it could lose its claim to being a leader of resistance.
On eve of presidential vote, Iranian officials keep wary eye on US (+video)

The unexpectedly strong showing by a moderate cleric has generated last-minute buzz about Iran's vote tomorrow. But officials are more concerned about US attempts at 'sedition.'