Who is Iran's Top Diplomat?

AFP has reported that Dr. Javad Zarif Iran's ambassador to the United Nations will represent Iranian side in Iran-USA talks that will be held on May 28th. However Iran’s Fars News Agency reports that it is not final yet.

Dr. Zarif has been one of the country’s top diplomats, who represented Iran in Bonn’s conference on future Afghanistan and helped forging the coalition to form the new Afghan government. However he is not loved in President Ahmadinejad’s administration.

Fars News Agency reported before resources close to the government mentioned Iran’s former and incumbent ambassadors to Iran, Amir Sa'eed Iravani and Kazemi Qomi as likely candidates for the job. Some also thought Iran’s National Security Council (SNSC) Undersecretary for home security, Mohammad Jafari, would be assigned to this “crucial task.”

But it seems Dr. Zarif’s appointment to head the negotiation team is final. Since AFP reported Iran’s State TV as its source.

To learn more about Dr. Zarif visit: http://www.un.int/iran/welcome/zarif.htm and

http://www.zarif.net/

Blair and Presidency of the World Bank

This report is interesting:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23396863-details/Blair+tipped+to+be+World+Bank+president+as+disgraced+Wolfowitz+resigns/article.do
See Telegraph as well:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/18/bcnblair18.xml
and Guardian:
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2083048,00.html

More Dispatches on Iran-USA Talks

It seems it is for real this time:
Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051600205.html
Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-iran-us-iraq,1,2908127.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

And as usual something paradoxical:
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-oprub185217445may18,0,7119236.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

Wolfowitz Quits

After weeks of struggle Paul Wolfowitz offers his resignation. This has been the greatest example of good governance (of course I am rather optimistic writing this, since there are so much to be desired). When it was revealed that he helped to arrange a better deal for an individual to whom he has personal attachment, there were bodies, monitoring bodies, to report the incident. There was a committee to determine whether he has broken any rule or not. The fact that such system works and can function even in a complex set up such as that of the World Bank empowers the argument for good governance. Well Done.
Financial Times Article is interesting:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/023bffd4-03cb-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html

Runner in Washington DC

Do you remember "The Runner" or Davandeh? If you are in DC you can see this movie this weekend at Smithonian; Freer and Sackler galleries on National Mall. Here is the information regarding this event:

THE RUNNER

Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m., Meyer Auditorium

Special guest: Professor Hamid Dabashi

Professor Hamid Dabashi, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, introduces a classic Iranian film and signs copies of his new book, Masters and Masterpieces of Iranian Cinema. This semi-autobiographical film by Amir Naderi features a young boy, rendered homeless by war, who resolves to improve himself by going to school. Praised in equal measure for its visual poetry and almost documentary realism, it put Iranian cinema on the international movie map. Persian with English subtitles. Iran / 1985 / 94 min.

More information: http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp

Comments

I worte a very short note on how sanctions and USA policy of isolating Iran have crowded out those who oppose the presence of foriegn banks in Iran. It was a simple observation. freethoughts.org have uploaded this note and it is here:
http://freethoughts.org/archives/000837.php#more
Just read the comments, it seems even selling ice-cream in Iran could be politically significant. I think that is the frustrating part about it.

Get Going

Latest on Dr. Wolfowitz:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/17/MNG4VPSACE1.DTL
and here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117940381472106145.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
and here:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/4811570.html

It seems now he is working on his own deal.