Two officials at the Iranian embassy in London were expelled on Tuesday on the orders of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The move comes just a day after the Iranian government pulled a similar stunt, sending two British officials packing in what Brown called an “unjustified step” over allegations that U.K. interference spurred the election riots. The diplomatic relationship between the two nations, always in some ways marred by the history of British control in the region, soured in the aftermath of the June 12 election, especially after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told foreign diplomats that the British were the cause of unrest amongst the people. “We witnessed an influx of people (from Britain) before the election,” he said. “Elements linked to the British secret service were flying in in droves.” The Tehran Times reported Wednesday that the Iranian parliament has decided to “revise its ties” with Britain, citing the way the BBC has “covered and reflected” the reformist protests.
Work on a new Zimbabwean constitution began on Wednesday as the recently nominated Parliamentary Select Committee commenced a tour of the country’s provinces to find people with a vested interest in crafting the document. The move to a new constitution comes as part of the Global Political Agreement signed between the country’s three main political parties, including President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change. Mugabe and Tsvangirai have ruled in a unity government since January, a compromise after last year’s disputed elections. The new constitution, which is set to be completed by February 2010 and be submitted to a vote next July, is likely to weaken the presidential powers while increasing the role of the Parliament. Next month, 5,000 delegates will be invited to a conference in Harare to begin the brainstorming phase.
The United States and Kyrgyzstan have reportedly reached a deal over the usage of the Manas airbase in the northern region of the former Soviet state. Kyrgyz authorities have agreed to allow Americans to continue to use the strategic Manas facility, located near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The base, which will now be called a transit center, is the only U.S. airbase in Central Asia and has been crucial for the transportation of troops and cargo to Afghanistan, as well as the refueling of military planes. Four months ago, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev ordered the closing of the base, citing insufficient funding—as a part of the new deal, the U.S. will increase annual rent payments from roughly $20 million to over $60 million. However, pressure from Moscow likely played a major role in the eviction order as Bakiyev’s announcement coincided with the receipt of a $2 billion aid package from Russia. The thaw in Russian-American relations since the Obama administration took office likely had a hand in smoothing tensions. This morning, a spokesperson from the Russian foreign ministry said that Moscow had approved of the U.S.-Kyrgyz deal in advance.
After a four year break in diplomatic engagement, a State Department official informed the Syrian ambassador to the United States yesterday of Washington’s intention to return an ambassador to the Arab nation. Ambassador Imad Mustafa has said that such a decision would “enhance bilateral relations” with Syria and would reflect well on “the erroneous ways” of former President George W. Bush. In 2005, the U.S. ambassador to Syria was withdrawn following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri. Washington had accused Syria of planning the attack. The decision to return an ambassador comes after a slew of mixed messages from the Obama administration to Syria. Less than two months ago, President Barack Obama renewed economic sanctions on Syria accusing Damascus of “supporting terrorism, pursuing weapons of mass destruction…and undermining U.S. and international efforts” in the reconstruction of Iraq. However, last week, U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell visited Syria and affirmed that it would play a “crucial role” in creating “comprehensive” regional peace. While Mustafa told reporters yesterday that Washington’s engagement with Syria was “unprecedented,” an anonymous source from the Syrian government told the Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper that Damascus “doubts the ability” of the Obama administration to establish peace in the Middle East.