“We may face no greater challenge
from a single country than from Iran,” Condoleezza Rice has said, and
yesterday she called it the “central banker of terrorism”. She told reporters
she was confident the UN Security Council would find a way of expressing the
world’s resolve that Iran should not continue with its
nuclear program.” Peter Hartcher discusses the star of the Bush administration,
and her greatest challenge. It is also our greatest challenge, as we are one of
the USA’s most reliable
allies.

If war does eventuate “…
Australia will be by the
US’s side, as it has been in every
conflict since World War II. Yesterday Rice said the US appreciated Australia’s ‘stalwart’ support on
this issue and hoped it would continue. It will.”

Investors certainly need to watch
carefully how the Iran issue unfolds. Henry’s view
might be a little cold-hearted for some.

Meanwhile Ray Block notes that
India’s development could stall
unless there is a drastic investment in infrastructure. “Peter Marsh in the Financial Times
(23 January, 2006) quotes Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata companies, the
largest industrial group in India, who said: ‘unless India does
something about its infrastructure failings, it will not be able to sustain even
its current levels of growth’.”

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