On the Latest On #IranTalks: Brief Late Breaking Comments

Over the past number of hours, we have been assessing the state of the deal as Iran along with the P5+1 have continued their work.   As we write this, they all took the night off to get some rest as The French Foreign Minister left for Paris to attend a Cabinet Meeting.   Dr. Zarif, The Iranian Foreign Minister, said that they will begin drafting the agreement later on Wednesday as the White House noted that due to the substantive progress made, they would extend talks by One Day.   The Russian Foreign Mniister was the first to say there was a deal--although a Senior US Official denied it and said there are still gaps remaining.      Trita Parsi of +NIAC also sent this out and released this also to Facebook as well: 

 We have a breakthrough! All the details are not yet known, but I'm told here in Switzerland that there is agreement on the principles, and the negotiators will begin drafting the text ...  I just wanted to tell you myself as quickly as we found out.

Stay tuned - we will give you a full update soon.

It is clear that there seems to be a deal.   But opposition continues to build as eptiomized by what Senator Tom Cotton just noted and reported by the Hill: 

"Given the dangerous concessions by the Obama administration over the past week, one can only imagine what further concessions it will make in the next 24 hours to resolve these issues."
Posted by The Hill on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Notations On Our World: Briefly on the US Political Scene As #POTUS Elections Begin....

On the eve of the new Quarter, we here @ #Outsiders wanted to comment briefly on the US Political Scene as America begins another Presidential Election Season.

US Senator +Ted Cruz was the first candidate to announce.  He spoke at Liberty University and underscored his vision of where he wished to take America.   He reflected upon abolishing the IRS, rejecting Obamacare and unequivocal support for Israel.   His interesting and sophisticated online campaign raised 2 Million Dollars which is a precursor to a very sophisticated Social Media Effort with a psychographic customers targeting 17 different advertising messages and a concerted data analytic s effort.    Based on the reporting and commentary we reviewed, he is aiming to raise about 50 Million Dollars within the next 12 months as the campaign truly begins.   It was quite striking that he said it is up to the People of Israel to decide the fate of a Two State Solution--as the Speaker is about to embark on a trip to Israel, as the new Israeli Parliament has conveyed and as a Senate Delegation just left Israel.    It is striking that the comments by Senator Cruz is similar to what Iran's Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Khameini has noted in this regard.

Other Republicans have not been sitting idly by.   Jeb Bush is in Southern California this week as a private fundraiser in Bel Air.    The price of admission is $ 100,000 per couple.    Marco Rubio of Florida is slated to announce along with Rand Paul as well.     There is also the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal who has been hard at work.  He latest pronouncements as noted in his "Team Jindal" outreach was quite interesting:

• Governor Jindal Criticized President Obama's Administration For Dismissing Iranian Leaders Who Yell "Death To America," While Refusing To Sit Down With Our Long-Time Ally Israel.Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal released a statement Tuesday blasting President Obama as an "inept commander in chief. Jindal, who may run for the GOP nomination for president, criticized Obama's willingness to dismiss the Iranian supreme leader's "death to America" exhortations as "political rhetoric" while publicly criticizing the campaign rhetoric of Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. "I realize President Obama is accustomed to misleading the voters, but he shouldn't assume Middle Eastern tyrants use words as loosely as he does. He's acting like this is no different than 'if you like your health care plan you can keep it,'" said Jindal in his statement. "At the same time, the President and his minions are becoming more and more hostile to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel. The White House Chief of Staff is now saying they cannot 'simply pretend' that comments the Prime Minister of Israel clarified never happened. Jindal continued: ""How did we get to a point where the White House believes the Iranian Supreme Leader's comments about 'death to America' are just political rhetoric, and we don't take the word of the leader of one of our strongest allies?"

We look forward to sharing their ideas and reflecting upon them over the ensuing weeks and months.   

 The business of Government, though continues  as #Iran Talks go on and we're seeing reports that it may be extended through Wednesday for the Broad Framework as Israel continues its' very public campaign.   Russia's Foreign Minister has gone back to Switzerland .    Ever so Challenging Times....

Notations From the Grid: On the #IranTalks

As we here @ #Outsiders await and monitor developments, this analysis courtesy of Al Jazeera America underscores some key "red herrings":

An even keel analysis on #IranTalks as the World awaits & remaining hopeful :3 red herrings via @AJAM http://t.co/x4lQRmF3DB
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) March 31, 2015

It is also gratifying to see everyone smiling as this was noted by the BBC Farsi's Niki Mahjob:

Another #picture from this morning plenary. #Irantalks pic.twitter.com/VmF6w7sQvw
— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) March 31, 2015

Notations For the Week-End: On #IranTalks

Over the ensuing days, we here @ #Outsiders have been assessing the progress of the talks.    We have seen reports of "gaps" and then "substantive progress" including a "draft agreement".   This is as the Israeli Prime Minister has continued his public campaign to derail the effort which had been going on for quite some time--including his speech before Congress and the apparent reports of Israeli Spying which has been denied by Israeli Government officials.   The Israeli Prime Minister has just within the past few hours said that the apparent deal is "worst" than he feared.   It appears that Iran has agreed in principle to cut the centrifuges and also to ship out the enriched Uranium.

We have seen reports that the Foreign Minister, Dr. Zarif has a cold and has continued to work through it.   We also have seen reports that the US Secretary of State has cancelled out his plans to hopefully gain the broad framework by March 31.  We also understand that the other princples--the French Foreign Minister, The Russian Foreign Minister, The British Foreign Secretary along with the Chinese Foreign Minister are going to Switzerland (If they have not arrived already as we went to press on this edition of "notations").    It is also of note that it is the Iranian New Year and the entire Iranian Delegation has given up the annual 2-Week Nowrouz (New Year) Celebration.  It may not matter to others around the World--but it should underscore a sense of commitment.   President Rouhani's Brother, Hussein (A Special Assistant to President Rouhani) , is also back in Switzerland after a few days to attend their Mother's Funeral.

Hopeful Signs are before us.   The question is whether they are able to close the deal by March 31.  The broader question is whether the agreement will pass muster with what is surely going to be a very concerted campaign spearheaded by the Israeli Prime Minister and supported by the Republicans in Congress.    The US Senate Majority Leader, Senator McConnell, is in Israel and the House Speaker is about to go as well.

It is bound to be an exciting few weeks.....

Notations From the Grid: The Reality of Geopolitics in the Middle East Right Now.....

It has been a challenging few hours as Saudi Arabia has begun a 10-Nation bombing campaign with new strikes being reported as we're noting in this latest edition of "newsflash".   

As we have been assessing this very dynamic development as eptiomized by Yemen right now, this little nifty diagram we ran across says it all:



Challenging ever more.....

An #Outsider Newsflash: On #Yemen Right Now.....

Sanaa, the Capital of Yemen, has been hit with airstrikes by Saudi Arabia as the Houthis have continued their assault.    As we are writing this newsflash, Al Jazeera is interviewing the Editor of the Yemen Times who is reporting the attacks on military targets that underscores how the entire City of  Sanaa has been shaken by the attacks and bombings are clearly being heard.   It is striking how the Saudi Ambassador to The United States announced it in Washington.

It is truly scary times right now as it will trigger a wider war. 

Thought(s) For the Week: On Change

As we approach mid-week here in #Outsiders, it was quite timely yet again from +Jonathan Huie who yet again reminds us of change and how we must be ever so open to it:

 

I have accepted fear as a part of life -

specifically the fear of change...

I have gone ahead despite the pounding

in the heart that says: turn back.

- Erica Jong

With courage you will dare to take risks,

have the strength to be compassionate,

and the wisdom to be humble.

Courage is the foundation of integrity.

- Keshavan Nair

Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history

to wait for the train of the future to run over him.

- Dwight D. Eisenhower