The head of the IAEA, and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Mohammed ElBaradei makes some very pointed criticisms of the U.N. Security Council in a speech delivered in Karlsruhe, Germany the other day. He points to the inability of the council to deal with genocidal situations like Rwanda and Darfur, as well as their lack of effectiveness when dealing with rogue states like Saddam's Iraq or Iran. He wants reform of the council, but the article doesn't get into what exactly he would like to see done, so while I agree with his criticisms, I can't comment on his proposed solutions.

President Talabani says he see progress in talks to form a government in Iraq.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Peter Pace says we are "a long way" from a military solution to the Iran problem.

Abdul Rahman may be released soon which, depending on the circumstances of his release, could take the heat off President Karzai (and President Bush).

In France, according to this front-page article in the Washington Post, there is a growing malaise as the nation faces riots, demonstrations, unemployment, and an economy that is barely growing. What they need is the French version of Ronald Reagan (although I doubt the electorate in France will ever choose such a person to lead them).

Go to the Weekly Standard site today and read all four of their most recent articles. Stephen Hayes writes about the terrorist training camps that were run by Saddam's henchmen, before they were closed down by the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, Kristol and Kagan hope the President will not allow a reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq, Henrik Bering writes about the growing realization in Denmark that they are now in the fight against Islamofascism, whether they like it or not, and Gerard Baker laments the political passing of Tony Blair because, while he might be wrong about many things, he "got the one big thing right".