render
ed
with respect to
these decisions. What I can tell you is the president's decisions are more aggressive and
incur
more risk than I was originally prepared to accept. More force for more time is, without doubt, the safer course. But that does
not necessarily
make it the best course. Only the president, in the end, can really determine the acceptable level of risk we must take."
Iraqi officials say at least 23 people have been killed in a series of bomb blasts in the capital Baghdad. The explosions took place in quick
succession
near a crowded market and a mosque in the south of the city.
Iranian state media have reported the arrest of an ally of the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It's the latest in a number of dismissals and arrests of figures close to Mr Ahmadinejad. Marcus George reports.
According to the reports, Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh was arrested and detained for corruption. There were indications, however, that his arrest was motivated not so much by what he'd done but who he was. Just last week, Mr Malekzadeh had been appointed as the deputy foreign minister, only to resign three days later following pressure from the Iranian parliament. It appears to be another example of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, using his powers to
rein in
a president, who's increasingly challenged his authority.
The United States and other industrialised nations are to release 60 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to try to push down prices. The International Energy Agency said the measure was a response to the disruption in the oil supply from Libya. The price of crude responded with a 5% fall. The move follows Opec's failure earlier this month to agree an increase in production quotas.