Intelligence: Iran has enough nuclear fuel for a bomb; War crime investigations in Afghanistan; Australia launches investigation into Balibo Five; At least 26 dead in Iraqi bombings; and more

Top of the Agenda: Iran's Nuclear Fuel

New U.S. intelligence reports say Iran has enough nuclear fuel to create a weapon, but has stopped short of making a bomb (NYT). It is not clear how long it would take Iran to complete the final steps needed to create a nuclear weapon.

Glyn Davies, Washington's chief envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran now has "possible breakout capacity" to enrich uranium and convert it to a bomb. Davies reiterated the Obama administration's offer to engage in direct negotiations (WashPost) with Iran without preconditions, but expressed concern that Iran is "deliberately attempting, at a minimum, to preserve a nuclear weapons option."

Iran provided Western officials with its package of proposals (WSJ) to restart negotiations over its nuclear program on Wednesday. But the package included no indication that Iran's uranium enrichment would be up for discussion (LAT).

Analysis
CFR's Ray Takeyh says the widening political split in Iran casts greater doubt on prospects for nuclear talks with the West.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, former Sen. Daniel Coats (R-IL), former Sen. Charles Robb (D-VA) and Ret. Gen. Charles Wald say U.S. President Barack Obama should use the upcoming UN Security Council session and G-20 summit to "marshal support for a robust strategy aimed at preventing both Iranian nuclear-weapons capability and an Israeli strike." They call for increased sanctions and a show that the military option remains on the table.

Background
The International Atomic Energy Agency's recently updated version of its safeguards report on Iran is available here.

CFR looks at Iran's nuclear weapons program in this Backgrounder.

PACIFIC RIM: War Crimes Investigation

Australian federal police launched a war crimes investigation (Age) into the 1975 deaths of five Australian journalists in East Timor known as the "Balibo Five." Indonesian forces are believed to have killed the journalists to cover up the invasion of East Timor.

Japan: In a new report, human rights group Amnesty International criticizes Japan for executing mentally ill death row prisoners. The report calls for a moratorium on all executions of death row inmates in Japan, saying conditions on death row in the country are inhumane.

ELSEWHERE:

Multiple bombings in Iraq: here and here.
Preliminary ICC investigation of war crimes in Afghanistan.
EU officials travel to Zimbabwe.

This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org