More news: EU selection process slows

First to the maneuvering for the top two positions in the EU. We see this morning that Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is slowing down the process in attempts to include all EU member states in these deliberations. He is in the process of contacting all EU heads of state and government to determine some kind of consensus regarding these positions. There are also some new names being considered.

David Miliband is still considered as a frontrunner for the foreign policy position, but we see that former Italian prime minister Massimo D'Alema is receiving "growing support" for the position as well.

Additionally, we see the following quote which indicates the decision will not be delayed too long:

"Fredrik Reinfeldt said he expected to be ready soon to call a special EU summit to appoint the permanent EU president and foreign policy chief."

Articles below:
"Franco-German deal will not decide EU top jobs, Sweden says".
"EU negotiates names for top jobs".
EU: D'Alema gains support for foreign policy post".


In a second news story - we see that U.S. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held a lengthy meeting on Monday. This meeting was accompanied by "an unusual news blackout". There is much speculation around this meeting and why this atypical blackout followed. Speculation ranges from it having been a "bad" meeting ("No news is bad news" according to one insider), to harsher methods agreed regarding Iran which would explain why "the White House minimized references to the peace process."

No one knows what happened during this meeting, nor the basis for the ensuing, atypical news blackout. More speculation was raised as seen in the article (below) titled "Obama-Netanyahu meeting shrouded in secrecy":

"Speculation was rife in Israel that the unusual secrecy surrounding the meeting could either mean that Obama tried to strong-arm the Israelis to surrender to Palestinian demands and was firmly repulsed, or that the meeting focused on an impending Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities."

Articles below:

"Obama-Netanyahu meeting shrouded in secrecy".
"Obama-Netanyahu meeting followed by near-silence".
"Media silence after PM, Obama meeting".


It strikes me that a lot of big determinations are occurring behind closed doors with very small groups on the verge of making some very very big decisions - decisions affecting the Middle East, Iran and decisions determining the two most powerful positions in the world - all behind closed doors.