U.S. President Barack Obama expressed outrage at Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters in a press conference on Tuesday. Photo: White House

What do Tehran, Panama City and Washington have in common?

Failed U.S. policy and C.I.A. maneuvering played themselves out in those venues 30 years ago. When the shah of Iran was deposed by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Carter administration twisted the arm of Panamanian General Omar Torrijos and convinced him to give the shah political refuge. The shah’s chief protector while in Panamanian exile was Colonel Manuel Antonio Noriega, Torrijos’ intelligence chief — all the while a paid C.I.A. collaborator.

Noriega told me in interviews I conducted with him in the 1990s for the book “America’s Prisoner” that Torrijos accepted the U.S. request “as a goodwill gesture to the United States,” despite protests worldwide.

Several times, there were attempts by terrorists to penetrate the security cordon and reach the shah; at least one occasion involved a zealot on a suicide mission trying to sneak into Panama with false documents. With the ayatollah declaring that killing the shah would be a sure route to heaven, we were certain that there would be such an effort and our guard was always up.

The United States has fingerprints all over the history of Iran, and Panama too — a legacy of manipulation, greed, disregard of human rights and democracy and failed understanding of U.S. long term interests.

The C.I.A. installed the shah on his so-called 2,500-year-old Peacock Throne in Tehran in 1953, overthrowing the democratically-elected president, Mohammad Mosaddeq. Successive U.S. presidents, including Jimmy Carter, looked the other way while the shah’s C.I.A.-trained SAVAK intelligence agency repressed dissidents and their fight for freedom.

Barack Obama is attempting a new and pragmatic approach toward dealing with Iran after generations of mutual suspicion. He is concerned that a high profile would make the United States a convenient target for Iranian clerics. Obama’s conservative opponents at home are looking for ways to criticize him, charging Obama is not sufficiently vocal in supporting the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people.

Where are they now?

General Manuel Noriega is a convicted felon and prisoner of war, held in a Florida jail since 1989 when the United States invaded his country and disbanded the U.S.-trained Panamanian National Guard.

The shah died in Cairo of cancer in 1980. His son, Reza Pahlavi, emerged from obscurity in suburban Washington on Monday. He spoke at the National Press Club, dewy-eyed as he hinted he wouldn’t mind running for president of Iran one day.

For now: “My sole objective is to help my compatriots reach freedom,” Pahlavi said. But if and when that happens, he went on, “I’d like to be able to be in my country one day, come behind such a podium, talk to my people and every other candidate…let the people decide.”

- Peter Eisner

Find our complete coverage of the Iranian elections at Voices of Iran.

The tainted milk has left four children dead and thousands ill in China. A reported 1,500 dogs also died after eating food laced with the chemical.

The Chinese government has admitted partial responsibility in the scandal, and several dairy companies have apologized.

Nonetheless, the health scare questions the ability of the Chinese government to effectively regulate. Officials admitted that Sanlu — a dairy company in China that was one of the largest offenders — was exempted from inspection. Sanlu also asked the Chinese government for help in covering up the extent of the crisis.

Read our previous Blogwatch on bloggers’ responses to the initial scandal.

Below is a map detailing the spread of the contamination and countries’ responses to the scare. Click on the country to see the effects of the milk scandal and the actions taken against Chinese dairy products. Use the arrows to navigate the world.

Below, international bloggers voice their opinions about the debate and the candidates.

Explore Worldfocus partner LinkTV’s “Dear American Voter” project, which encourages citizens from around the world to submit videos about the U.S. elections.

Included are video testimonials from Ghana, Syria, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Jordan.

Read our previous post on global reactions to the second U.S. presidential debate.

Some comments from international bloggers about the U.S. elections:

“Politically Incorrect” blog, Kenya

Watching [the debate], I began nightdreaming about the possibilities it held for African countries . [...] What if we started seeing elections as a platform for allowing citizens to decide on what they wanted, rather than using it as an opportunity to bribe, cheat, humiliate, fight, be abusive, or whatever else African leaders are always up to during such times? It is still a dream in Africa that we will achieve the state that [the U.S.] takes for granted, where election campaigns are organized and the battles do not have to involve or bruise the public, where citizens still have a large amount of power, and where presidents (potential) are taken to task about their manifestos.

“Mexico Monitor” blog, Mexico

Undocumented immigration remains a political hot potato in the campaign for the U.S. presidency. Neither McCain nor Obama mentioned the issue during their third and final presidential debate. But on more than 20 occasions they did talk about “Joe Plumber,” a name for the generic working man now suffering the consequences of the global financial crisis. During a Facebook chat, a friend told me that she thinks the candidates were really talking about “Jose el Plomero, un migrante indocumentado” — José Plumber, an undocumented Mexican migrant worker who lives in the shadows of the broken U.S. immigration system and is waiting to see if the next U.S. president will be bold enough to propose meaningful immigration reform legislation.

“Cas Cas the Explorer” blog, France

Being an American in Paris is an uphill battle—I even speak French pretty well. From the moment I touched down at Charles de Gaulle, politics have remained the focal point of almost every discussion. With three suitcases in tow, my cab driver asked the address of my destination, and after hearing my accent, asked of my origin. After stating, “Etat-Unis”, a glimmer appeared in his eye in the rearview mirror. No questions on “what brings you to Paris” or “How long are you going to be here”. His words were simple, “Obama où McCain?” This scene has been played repeatedly with most interactions between the French and I. Once they know you are American, the only issue of concern becomes the election and the reasoning behind your choice. [...] With each upcoming question I am bound to face regarding “Obama où McCain,” I’ll smile and answer, praying that this one conversation might have a domino effect—however slight it may be—so that America can regain the prestige and respect abroad she once had.

“Two Chicks Nest” blog, Canada

I’m calling myself out. I’ve lived in Canada for a year and I don’t understand Canadian politics. I follow U.S. politics like it’s my (part time) job, but I barely even notice what’s going on in the country that I am living in. Tsk tsk. Canadians are very interested in U.S. politics. The Canadian news broadcasts the vice presidential debates, for god’s sake! How is it that we have 24-hour news cycles in the U.S., but we barely ever mention anything beyond the U.S. border? Americans, have you heard anything about the Canadian national election that took place yesterday?

“Boquete Panama Guide” blog, Panama

I realize that Latin American politics seem remote from the current problems in the U.S. but they are not. There are huge numbers of Latin American voters in the U.S. These immigrants [...] have families in Latin America families incuding the Cubans in Miami that know what will happen if Chavez is successful emulating Castro’s Cuba. [...] People in all the world are [a]ffected by the U.S. election. I did a totally unscientific poll conducted with people in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru and Columbia. The people I spoke with are watching with great interest and 100% of those I chatted with would, if they could, vote for Barack Obama and hope for change, so would I.