Kharnival of the Iranities
The messages on Iran and out of Iran are so mixed, no wonder everyone’s confused. It’s a regular Iranian funhouse:
Seymour Hersh, describing a “sea change” in U.S. Mideast policy specifically re Iran, does a relatively good job of laying out the case against Iran, although I don’t think that was his intent with this ramble that claims the US, in opposing Iran, is bolstering Sunni extremists … a claim now being trumpeted on the left ”Save Iran!” half of the blogosphere. Usual problem with Hersh … its hard to tell what’s real and what you’ll never hear anything about again, which renders his closing quote somewhat ironic. He fails to note as he sets it up, however, that Iran’s choice to maintain a defacto state of war for 28 years and its extensive, destabilizing meddling from Iraq to Lebanon is what is finally being addressed in a meaningful way, instead presenting this new strategy as something cut whole from Bush cloth.
LA Times: UN says US intel on Iranian nukes no good! They look, they don’t find. However, the article goes on to detail the IAEA’s concerns about Iran’s defiant production of enriched uranium and its possession of nuclear weapons plans, so it’s not clear what the point of this article is. Bush bash?
Iran, as part of its ongoing charm offensive, calls on the US to show goodwill. Iran tries to get by with a little help from its friends. But just when everything sounds groovy, out comes erstwhile flowerchild A’jad with the word that there’s “no reverse gear” on Iran’s nuclear minibus.
While continuing with its peaceful nuclear program, Iran decides this is a good time to launch a rocket into space for research purposes. But it was only a funhouse rocket. Gateway updates with word of some bizarre rocket spoof.
Gateway rounds up a (real) Iranian helicopter crash … US shoulder-fired missiles? (reality undetermined) … and other allegations of insurgent activity in Iran. Entertaining if true, that the mullahs are getting a taste of their own medicine.
Reuters: U.S. has contingency plans to bomb Iran. Officials discuss plans aired in Hersh’s article. Big news. If the U.S. didn’t have contngency plans, then we should be concerned.
The Times of London speculates on the prospect of a US generals’ revolt here. I ruminate on what a flimsy piece of crap this article is here. Rumblings are also mulled in the Captain’s Quarters. Verdict: not mutinous. Meanwhile, a sober-minded Dutchman at the Moderate Voice thinks attacking Iran is a bad idea, but ruling out military action is a worse one.
Israel, as usual, is ready for anything. Including, reportedly, flights through Iraqi airspace. But who needs to complicate things for the Americans when the Gulfis are in such an accommodating mood?
Cheney, the Dean Witter of the Bush administration, gives Iran another stock tip.
An American soldier in Iraq has a laugh as CNN dismisses the Iranian threat, while listening for incoming.
Meanwhile, Bill Richardson wants more talk, less action. That kind of attitude reminds Protein Wisdom of another time, another place, another evil.
Topics: Iran, media, military, pols
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:39 am Comments (6) on Sunday, February 25, 2007
6 Responses to “Kharnival of the Iranities”
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February 25th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
[...] a great round-up of blogposts and newspaper articles about Iran. Posted on February 25, 2007 | Permalink | Categories Iran | “>Comment #1 “>Cernig said, February 25, 2007 at 6:55 amMichael, [...]
February 25th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
“As P. J. O’Rourke called it, ‘the awful power of make-believe.’”
“Willful blindness.”
“None so blind…”
Etc., etc., etc.
There’s a reason there are so many cliches about this syndrome. I bet a goodly number of wars were caused by it, or at least, allowed to happen when there might have been a chance of the much vaunted dialogue to work had eyes been open and seeing.
February 25th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Kharnival of the Iranities
Kharnival of the Iranities Jules Crittenden The messages on Iran and out of Iran are so mixed, no wonder everyone’s confused. It’s a regular Iranian funhouse: Seymour Hersh, describing a “sea change” in U.S. Mideast policy specifically re Iran,…
February 25th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Bill’s Nibbles // Open Post — 2007.02.24
Some Bill’s Bites posts, some things I excerpted and linked but I’m sending you to the original post. I may rearrange the order of the items within this post as I add new things that I think belong above the
February 25th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Al-Sadr’, the leader of Iraq’s biggest Shiite militia complained Sunday that bombs “continue to explode” in Baghdad and that U.S.-led security crackdown is doomed to fail, issuing a statement the same day a suicide attacker struck outside a college campus, killing at least 41 people.
With a little help from his friends http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny10_towns/us_congress_seal.jpg
February 25th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
“Seymour Hersh, describing a “sea change” in U.S. Mideast policy specifically re Iran, does a relatively good job of laying out the case against Iran, although I don’t think that was his intent. ”
You must have missed the part about Cheney being back running another Iran-Contra type of operation. Except this time, instead of aiding Iran, we’re aiding al Qaeda allies.