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John Barron of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has an entertaining op-ed piece in the Washington Post that provides an entertaining comparison between Australian and U.S. national elections.

A new U.S. intelligence assessment regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program reports that the Iranian government abandoned a suspected nuclear weapons program. According to the Washington Post report, Iran was working on a covert nuclear weapons program, but abandoned the program in 2003 in the face of international pressure. As I read it, the Iranians are certainly smart enough to know when to back down from their bombastic anti-Western rhetoric and act in the interests of their state.

Apparently, as M. Bush reads the report, this is bad news.

Instead of continuing to seek a diplomatic solution, where the spectre of war can be avoided, Bush is using the opportunity to promote a military conflict. The logic, deduced from a White House press conference today, is that since the Iranians had a covert weapons program, they must intend to start another one (“What’s to say they couldn’t start another covert nuclear weapons program?”) Bush has taken this opportunity to not only distort the analysis of his own NIE assessment but to show the world that his diplomatic intentions are not pure.

[From Bush: Iran Intelligence Report is Warning Signal - washingtonpost.com]

UPDATE: The International Herald Tribune has a copy of the NIE posted to their website, available from this link.

They may not have a government, but the Belgians do have one thing: frite week.

According to the Telegraph, 98.5% of Belgians find that the lowly fried potato is the symbol of national unity. Apparently, it’s the only source of agreement amongst the entire kingdom.

Oh, did I mention that the Belgians still do not have a government?

[From Divided Belgium may have had its chips - Telegraph ]

Le Monde is reporting that, according to an Airbus communication, Saudi Prince Al-Walid bin Talal is the owner of a private A380, named the “Flying Palace”.

[From Le Monde.fr : Le prince Al-Walid est l'acheteur de l'A380 "privé"]

“Armistice Day was sacred; Veteran’s Day is not.” — Kurt Vonnegut

[From Memorials held in Europe to mark Armistice Day - International Herald Tribune]

In what is perhaps the most important advance towards a new reform treaty for the European Union, the Dutch cabinet in the Hague today announced that it will not hold a new referendum on the upcoming EU reform treaty.

For those who may not remember, the first attempt at a constitution for the EU was killed by the Dutch people, who overwhelmingly voted against the new treaty in 2005.

The move also puts a damper on UK efforts to hold a similar referendum, a vote likely to be against acceptance of the new treaty.

[From nrc.nl - Europa - Kabinet: geen nieuw referendum over EU]
[English language report from BBC News - Dutch cabinet rules out EU vote]

Le Monde is reporting that France is contemplating a full return to NATO (OTAN). I for one welcome the decision. The EU needs a more assertive role in military affairs, and I believe that France has both the initiative and the talent to lead Europe to an important role as a counter-balance to American military policy.

Plus, it gives the French generals in Brussels something to do.

According to a report from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, there are 90 guns per 100 citizens in the United States. Worldwide, there are 875 million guns, 270 million of which are in the hands of American citizens.

The report goes on to say that only 225 million of the worldwide supply of firearms are in the hands of law enforcement and military personnel. The remainder are held by private citizens.

And yet, somehow, our high incidents of crime are unconnected to gun ownership. Strange…

[Via Le Monde.fr : Les citoyens des Etats-Unis sont les plus armés au monde]