Japan gets a seat on the U.N. Security Council

October 17th 2008 – Japan will have a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the next two years. It will be joined by Turkey, Austria, Mexico and Uganda. Iran tried for a seat, but it is out of favour because it is suspected of secretly building an atom bomb. Iceland also tried for a seat but failed.

So the present members are:

• Western Europe: Britain*, France*, Belgium, Italy, Austria
• Eastern Europe: Russia*, Croatia
• North America: United States*
• Latin America: Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico
• Africa/Arab: Burkina Faso, Libya, South Africa, Uganda
• Asia: China*, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Turkey

* permanent members with veto power.

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American spies say Iran is not building an atom bomb

December 4th 2007 – In a surprising turn, American intelligence has come to the conclusion that Iran is not secretly trying to build an atom bomb. This is what Russia and ElBaradei, the head of the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency, have been saying all along.

This makes an American military strike on Iran in the coming year unlikely. But, even so, Iran is still enriching uranium against the UN Security Council.

President Bush says Iran remains a threat.

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