Obama's Prague speech causes ripples overseas: Kazakhstan, Iran support the International Fuel Bank

[Aloha Spirit]

In his address to the people of Prague, Obama laid out energy and national security policies that could generate a windfall of diplomatic currency for his nascent administration.
I don't know why it's not getting more attention :shrug:
Joe Cirincione was pretty jazzed up on Rachel Maddow's program last night. That's about all I've seen.

Well, as you may have read, Khazakhstan offered to be a depository for the proposed nuclear fuel bank. Signs are there that Obama is not opposed to this.
And he is planning a tour of the region. He would be the first US President to visit Kazakhstan. http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5362P420090407

Well, Ahmadinejad met with the Kazakh President the day after Obama's speech, and without missing a beat (perhaps feeling the pressure from the upcoming election), he backed the proposal for a fuel bank in the country. The two countries are strong trading partners. http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92876.php

Here are a couple articles on the meeting:
AP article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvrSIeo6zhxgFQQD_T0p5uxKekIQD97D4C1G0
Radio Free Europe article: http://www.rferl.org/content/Iranian_Leader_Backs_Kazakh_Proposal_For_Nuclear_Fuel_Bank/1604048.html

Here's a quote from the Iranian-funded newssource PressTV:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=90690§ionid=351020104

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he supports the US-proposed idea of setting up an international nuclear fuel repository.
In a visit to Kazakhstan, President Ahmadinejad welcomed a proposal put forward by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to host a global nuclear fuel bank.
"If a nuclear fuel bank is created for the nuclear power industry, Kazakhstan could consider the possibility of placing it on our territory, as a country that signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty and voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons," President Nazarbayev said.
The global repository would allow countries to use its reserves to fuel their nuclear plants without having to build up their own enrichment facilities.
The idea was initially introduced by the United States which later in 2007 allocated $50 million for the plan.

In other words, we now apparently live in a world where Iran and the US are allowed to agree on stuff! We even passed a NOTE to Iran! Like Maddow said last Tuesday, the warming of US-Iran relations is like Radiohead singing a happy song, lol http://themusic.fm/2009.03.31/maddow-likens-event-to-radiohead-singing-happy-song

All I can say is, if there was ever a fortunate moment for Russia, Iran, post-Soviet countries and the US to cease threatening each other, now would be that time.... because the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan ain't gonna get better on its own.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/TOP-ARTICLE--Its-Hell-Next-Door/articleshow/4370916.cms

"With the Pakistani army under siege and confined to the provincial capital, Peshawar, along the Afghanistan border, the Taliban have repeatedly struck at convoys carrying supplies for NATO and American forces in Afghanistan. The US and its NATO allies are now hurriedly finalising or have already concluded agreements with Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and even Iran for alternate sources and routes for supplies. Moves are underway to deal with a situation, wherein Pakistan abdicates state authority and fails to guarantee transit facilities to Afghanistan. "