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Around 3000 Somalis protested through the streets of Mogadishu today. These largely Islamic Somalis were in force to protest against the current government's parliamentary vote to allow foreign peacekeepers into the country. The protestors shouted anti-western slogans as well as brandished signs in English and Arabic against the parliamentary vote on Wednesday. The signs displayed slogans such as "America open your eyes" and "Democracy go to hell."

Recent hostilities between the Islamic militias and warlords, widely believed to be back by the United States of America continue to claim the lives of innocent civilians on a daily basis. This was especially true during the three month battle for Mogadishu, which saw the Islamic militants take control of the city, where at least 350 people were killed, most of them civilians. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has sought foreign involvement to not only help stop the fighting in his nation but also to secure his interim government's power.

Ironically, both the Islamic militants and the warlords of Somalia, do not want any foreign troops to be deployed into their country. Neither group wants any foreign involvement, mostly because of the catastrophic mid 90's peacekeeping mission which saw US and UN troops pull out of the troubled nation without accomplishing anything other than to heighten the violence.

Iran Refuses United Nations Demands To Stop Uranium Enrichment
Dale Calkins - March 30, 2006

The Iranian government has refused to stop its uranium enrichment program, a day after the United Nations Security Council demanded that it do so. The Security Council voted unamiously to order Iran to stop their program which could result in the development of nuclear weapons

Iran insists that their nuclear program is not for the construction of nuclear weapons, but for the development of nuclear power. Iran's declaration of peaceful intentions has been almost ignored by the United States of America and the United Nations, due to Iran's rather hostile foreign and domestic policies.

Talks are now being held in Berlin, Germany between the United States of America, France, China, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom to determine what should be done if Iran does not comply with the United Nations demands. Should Iran not agree to stop their uranium enrichment program, economic sanctions will likely be applied to the nation immediately. If Iran still refuses to stop their nuclear program after such sanctions, an armed conflict will almost certainly be the result.

Source: Reuters

Iran And United States To Hold Talks On The Situation In Iraq
Dale Calkins - March 24, 2006

Iranian and American diplomats will meet for the first time since 1979 to debate their respective involvements in Iraq. The United States has accused Iran of aiding Iraqi militant groups by training and financing them as well as supplying them with weapons. Iran has refuted these charges, stating that they have had no involvement in Iraq. The Iranians have in turn told the United States to leave the Iraqi people to govern themselves without American involvement. Both sides hope these talks will aid the two nations in better understanding each others' position on Iraq.

A date for the meeting has yet to be scheduled, although it is not likely they will be cancelled after Iranian Rahbar Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well American President George W. Bush endorsed the talks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has however warned the United States that they will not be able to bully Iran into anything.

These talks may prove to be a very important factor in establishing better cooperation between Tehran and Washington, although they could even further strain the two nations fragile relationship. It is unknown as to whether or not Iran's nuclear program will also be up for debate, but it is clear that the United States of America will likely want to add this topic to the talks as they are very concerned with

Iran

's ability to produce nuclear weapons.

Source: Reuters

In a scene which has become all too common in war torn Iraq, the smoldering wreckage of automobiles, rubble of buildings and bloody bodies lay in the streets of Baghdad this morning. Three individual bomb attacks aimed at US and Iraqi security forces, one of which was a suicide bombing attack on the anti-terrorist unit in Karrada. This attack saw the deaths of 25 people, when the suicide bomber detonated explosives in his automobile outside the headquarters’ car park gate. Ten of those killed in this explosion were Iraqi police officers, and reports suggest that over 32 people were injured.

Also today, another car bomb was detonated outside a Shia mosque in Shurta. It is believed that over five people were killed in this attack. Another roadside attack claimed the lives of at least

These attacks have become common place in Iraq, part of the daily resistance to the American occupation. It is believed that if these attacks continue to ravage the nation, and if the attacks perpetuated by religious differences continue to escalate, Iraq will undoubtedly be brought into civil war.

Source: Reuters