Obama Has Low Global Approval Ratings Says Expert

Andrew Kohut, President of the Pew Research Center, says that the Pew Global Project's 2010 Survey finds that Obama has low approval ratings internationally about the way he has handled issues with Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. (0:17)

Permanent Members Of UN Security Council Agree On Proposed Iran Sanctions

The Permanent Members of the Security Council ( China, Russia, France, UK and US) agreed on a resolution draft for another round of sanctions against Iran one day after Turkey and Brazil announced they had brokered a nuclear fuel exchange with the Iranian regime, a move many believed would impede US negotiations for sanctions.

But the draft presented late this afternoon to the Security Council has already received a cold reaction from Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, who told reporters Brazil would not participate in debating the proposed resolution because it believes there is a better way to resolve the conflict.

"The draft seeks to support, not replace, our efforts to engage Iran diplomatically" said US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice."We've said through out this process that the door remains open to Iran to live up to its obligations and achieve a better relationship with the international community."

Rice said the new resolution aims to expand on existing UN resolutions by creating new categories of sanctions likely to "increase the cost" on Iranian authorities if they continue to flaunt their international nuclear obligations. Such measures would include new restrictions on Iran's import of conventional arms, provisions to block its use of international financial systems to fund nuclear proliferation and creating an annex of specific individuals and entities who would be subject to asset freezes and travel bans.

French Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud said the agreement on the draft resolution reached by Security Council Members, all of whom have " very different political positions and interests", was proof of the international community's shared concern over the Iranian nuclear program.

Russia and China have been the main opponents to another round of sanctions on Iran, but Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters that, although Russsia would not have objected to a brief pause between the Brazilian-Turkish fuel swap and today's resolution draft, his government was satisfied with the general parameters of the sanctions.

"It is a language that is acceptable to us because it is focused adequately on non-proliferation matters and it is not supposed to create any problems for normal economic activity in Iran, it is not supposed to cause any humanitarian damage for Iran" said Churkin , adding that details about the annexes still need to be worked out and that consultations with non-permanent members of the Security Council on the matter would continue in the coming weeks.

Boxer Calls On Iran To Release Imprisoned Backpackers

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and a collection of other Senate Democrats called upon Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release three Americans imprisoned after allegedly straying onto Iranian soil while backpacking last August.

“Enough is enough,” Boxer said during a press conference Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol. “We call on [Ahmadinedjad] today to immediately release the three [Americans] on humanitarian grounds.”

Boxer added that if the Iranian government is unwilling to release the prisoners, then they should at least allow their families to visit them in prison by granting travel visas. Additionally, Boxer asked for the prisoners be given permission to contact their families via telephone.

The California Senator stressed the urgency of the situation, explaining that Swiss authorities who visited the prisoners reported that two of the Americans are in poor health.

The Senators’ call for the backpackers’ release coincides with Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York for an international conference on nuclear policy. According to Boxer, attempts by the prisoners’ families to arrange a meeting with the Iranian president in the city have been fruitless.

The Iranian government has refused to release the backpackers amid concerns that they were engaged in espionage, a charge that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) dismissed as “absurd.”

“They are pawns in an international struggle,” Specter said.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) added that evidence shown to the Senators from intelligence officials has further dissuaded the Senators from entertaining the notion that the Americans were spies.

The three backpackers have been identified as Shane Bauer, Sarah Emily Shourd and Joshua Fattal. Both Bauer and Shourd are journalists.

Iranian President Looks To Attend Non-Proliferation Conference in New York

The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmajinejad appears to want to attend a conference of signatories of the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) at UN headquarters in New York. US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said this afternoon that Ahmadinejad had applied for a visa for the conference next week. Iran is a signatory to the treaty but its nuclear development program has earned it criticism and sanctions from the US and other countries.

Rice seemed hopeful that the ongoing debate surrounding Iran's nuclear program and sanctions would not complicate positive developments during the NPT conference. Although intense negotiations surrounding the drafting of a resolution on more sanctions against Iran have been going on for months now, Rice indicated that consultations within the security council would continue "at an appropriate time" and that she anticipated consensus on the security council's course of actions in "the coming weeks".

"Iran is obviously, in any case, in the backdrop when consideration of the non proliferation treaty is occuring because it remains in violation of its international obligations, but we think this is much bigger than any one country. Our aims are universal and we will approach it in that vein."

Rice emphasized the importance of making concrete progress during next week's conference and that, in the wake of the signing of the START treaty with Russia and the Washington DC nuclear summit earlier this month, President Obama and other UN member states had clearly shown their commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament.

"The NPT has been and remains a cornerstone of our national security and we think this conference is very important opportunity to strengthen all three pillars of the non proliferation treaty" said Rice, referring to treaty's focus on non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. "There are many other member states that understand the crucial importance of this conference yielding an outcome that serves to reinforce all three pillars and the risk to the viability of the non proliferation treaty regime if this conference does not make progress in that regard"

Bipartisan Letter Sent To Obama Urges Strong Sanctions Against Iran

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Bipartisan support was shown Wednesday in a letter sent to President Barack Obama urging him to put “crippling” sanctions on Iran to stop the prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.

“Without a doubt, Iran’s nuclear weapons program poses a severe threat to America’s national interest,” said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL.) in a press appearance with Republican colleagues.

The sanctions would place strict regulations on Iran which would stop the country from acquiring nuclear materials as well as keep the nation from becoming “a more dangerous, destabilizing and destructive force in the world,” according to Jackson.

While the United Nations is currently focusing on applying sanctions against the country, Rep. Illeana Ros-Lethinen (R-Fl.) hopes the leter prompts faster action.

“We are repeating the failures of the past and continuing to let Iran run out the clock. We can’t wait for consensus on watered-down resolutions at the United Nations Security Council,” said Ros-Lethinen.

The letter was signed by 361 House members.