So Ol’ Beady Eyes has decided to forgive the 15 British mariners their supposed sins and repatriate them in time for Easter. I scarcely know what to think.
It didn’t make any kind of rational sense for a country already squirming under the circling pressure of international opinion over a suspected nuclear weapons program to provoke an additional crisis by seizing the 15 in the first place. Having done so, it did nothing for the regime’s international reputation to parade the men and woman on screen while making truculent declarations of their guilt and muttering about show trials. Of course, we had all long ago given up on the expectation of rationality from this particular Iranian regime, so while their seizure of the British mariners was a rude shock, it was not, in the end, particularly surprising.
In fact, the only truly surprising thing to come out of this whole ordeal is the release itself, with no apparent strings attached – it sets you back a bit when a madman suddenly starts making sense.
Looks like it caught the British government rather flat-footed as well:
The announcement took Downing Street, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence completely by surprise.
British officials handling the crisis had noted a change in mood this week but no one imagined that the Iranians would climb down so quickly without demanding anything in return.
Oh, there were still medals to be pinned on gallant but be-grizzled commanders of the IRGCN, and presidential finger-wagging at Tony Blair for having the audacity to send a mother out to sea where God knows what might happen to her. But still, this smacks less of any triumph for diplomacy than an embarrassing climb down for the Iranian regime. To spin it as “benevolence” while extracting nothing in return might make it more palatable to the Iranian president, but it does rather give the lie to his supposed moral superiority in the issue – if they weren’t worth the keeping, then they weren’t worth the taking.
As the Daily Mail article linked above pointed out, over the course of the 13-day crisis nothing about the matter had been heard of from the real power behind the Iranian curtain: Supreme Leader Ayatohla Ali Khamenie.
So: Did Ahmadinejad free the hostages after they had served their purpose, or did the barking dog turn to tail-wagging at the sound of his master’s voice? I’m not sure that we’ll ever know.
The curtain comes down on one act. The play continues.
Lex, I think they got one of their guys back from Iraq that has been held by the coalition for several weeks.
All politics is local. He got his face time with the national and regional press. Now he shows them Allah’s mercy, gaining favor with the Mullahs. Just an opinion.
Lex, you know you can’t use GWOT anymore – HASC says it’s a colloquialism.
“… – if they weren?
“… – if they weren’t worth the keeping, then they weren’t worth the taking.”
Any which way, it’s still a good thing.
Right now I wouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth.
I’m glad they get to go home to Kansas, I mean the UK, but I ain’t THAT overjoyed..what a cost for the Isles.
I wish at least one of them could have pulled a Jeffery Zaun…or at least made it look hard…
Some insight possibly:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070403-111245-1306r.htm
1st lesson learned? 2nd- fire back? Too early I reckon.
b2
Good to see them back home, safe and sound.
So… Ahmanutjob taketh and then he giveth. One wonders if the disputed southern boundary between Iran and Iraq has anything to do with this. Could this be a premonition for us, to be on alert for future moves on southern, British controlled Iraq, which btw happens to be Shia?
What would happen in the GWOT if Pelosi and her Dhimmi troops force a precipitous pull-out of the US? MJ Totten re-assures us about the Kurds up north who’ve all but established their own nation; if not a real border they certainly have a “national sense”. The Shia south, having been “pacified and released” by the Tommies, would be a rich prize for the taking by Iran.
One can only guess what kind of Al-Quaida-Land central Iraq would be once it becomes the third pawn in the Iraqi game of chess. As we all know, the game is on and our victory in Iraq is ever so very, very critical.
While Pelosi courts Syria and mis-quotes Israel, we must watch Ahmanutjob carefully. So many of the Donks ask how we would define victory in Iraq; it’s not so hard to visualize what a Pelosi and Reid retreat could mean.
One has to wonder if the two carrier battle groups circling the gulf had anything to do with the decision to release the Brits.
Guy – good point. Given that Iran got nothing – which does seem beyond odd – it gives creedance to the possiblity you mention…
Kris,
“Given that Iran got nothing ”
That they are telling us about. So far.
Oh, they got something….others have to pay by the second for that sort of publicity, if you’re not of the majority party, or of the anti-war crowd.
Iran’s leadership got the Western MSM to show how paralyzed we are, how fearful, how we couldn’t (the MSM anyhow) couldn’t even bring itself to use the word “hostage.”
Got nothing? Over there it’s the show, not the outcome. Been blogging about that for several days now…remember Khaddfi shooting SA-5s in March 86? Funny, there was no guidance radars energized, but there was lots of footage of his missiles headed to down aviators of the Great Satan.
They got plenty and more…
Test
I know that the US and Iran have had a grudge against one another ever since 1979, but did you ever consider that Iran could be your greatest ally against terrorism and muslim extremism? Or at the very least, you could play Shi’ite off against Sunni instead of butting heads against both? A radical idea, I know, but one which the old British Empire would have considered.
C. Parkes,
Are you suggesting the US corroborate/manipulate Iran and “deal” with Adolph Hitler II (ol’beady eyes)….?
N.F.W. Ever hear of Mossadegh? hasn’t worked.
re- “..play Shi?
C. Parkes,
Are you suggesting the US corroborate/manipulate Iran and “deal” with Adolph Hitler II (ol’beady eyes)….?
N.F.W. Ever hear of Mossadegh? hasn’t worked.
re- “..play Shi’ite off against Sunni..”
I don’t think that is necessary for us. They cannabilize themselves…
b2
b2 – ever heard of Godwin’s Law?
I think Chris, that the depth of mistrust – not to say loathing – of US citizens for the Tehran regime is difficult to plumb for those who were not reminded every night for 444 days that their diplomats and countrymen were held hostage by a state-sponsored rogues. The humiliation that the UK experienced recently merely echoed for us the much greater sense of impotent shame that we had during that time.
Since the Islamic Republic was instituted, not only have they brutalized their own people, but they have been the principal state sponsor of such terror groups as Hamas and Hezbollah contributing to instability and murder throughout the Levant. The finger also points towards them for the murder of American servicemen in Saudi Arabia, when the Khobar towers were struck. The evidence strongly suggests – remember those Austrian sniper rifles destined for the Iranian counter-drug police, and enhanced shaped charge IEDs found in Iraq – that they are continuing to provide material and training support to the death of American servicemen in Iraq.
Iran may feel like a victim in this relationship, but from our perspective it is we ourselves who are more sinned against than sinning.
Lex,
Thanks for the considered response, and yes, you are correct, it is difficult for me to fully understand the depth of feeling involved. Hence my argument, unclouded by emotion, to take a more pragmatic view of current events and their likely outcomes.
I am not suggesting for a moment that I view Iran to be an innocent party in the Iraq conflict. Elements within Iran clearly see an opportunity there to assist the insurgency, in order to capitalise on a future outcome, should the US-UK-Aus Alliance withdraw before the new Iraqi government is able to defend itself. I would venture their support of Hamas and Hezbollah is to the same aim in Lebanon.
Until the situation in Iraq is stabilised in our favour, I don’t see how military action against Iran will achieve anything but uniting Sunni and Shi’ite against us, when historically they have been sworn enemies. I’m not claiming to be an expert in this, but I’d rather fight opponents one by one, rather than take them all on at once.
Chris,
Yes I have, and I normally adhere to not using that descriptor..If you want to consider me simple and stupid- have at it.
This guy ol’beady IS different. He was part of the 1979 Revolutionary Guard as near as I can figure, he has exported terrorism and violnce even Hitler could not envision through Hizbollah for the past 25 years leading to the deaths of thousands..including the suicide attack on the Marine Barracks in Lebanon. Right now he has agents in Iraq “dealing” custom IEDs killing Americans and thousands of Iraqis, is a virulent anti-semite who has called for the destruction of Israel a thousand times while denying the holocaust, etc. etc…ad naseum. “Hitlerian” enough? I have come to this conclusion not based on emotions but because of them and a a VERY pragmatic process. That is because I have probably been around a while longer than you.
If you can believe it Chris, I have not used a “Hitler like” reference to any world leader in my entire life except for this guy Ahmadinejad…My father fought Nazi’s, Nazi’s aren’t far from my memory and I didn’t just learn about Nazis from books. In my neighborhood if you called someone a Nazi it was fighting time…
Yet this guy…this guy, in my judgement, is a Hitler like dude and his Shia movement is a Nazi-like movement, potentially even worse than Nazi Germany due to the proliferation and unabashed desire for WMDs. I can’t recall any Nazi suicide bombers although there may have been some. Yet despite that, we know how much destruction and killing Nazi Germany brought on the world…Can you imagine Islamo-facist terrorists with nuclear weapons?
Nope…I have NO second thoughts on labelling him Hitler-like. To me it is 1938 again and we know all about Hitler..what is the right thing to do?
b2
B2,
No, I don’t think you simple and stupid, but I would like you to do me the same courtesy. You believe that because I am younger than you that I consequently have no respect for your experience and opinions. Quite the contrary, but if you can’t consider an opinion on its merits alone, then perhaps I should reconsider that.
Your assertion that anyone who doesn’t have first hand personal experience of Nazism is incapable of understanding it is insulting at best, and dangerous at worst.
At any rate, the rightness or wrongness of the regime in Iran is irrelevant. You want them gone, need them gone for strategic or political reasons, then that is reason enough in itself. The British thought the same of Gandhi without qualms.
My argument is that there is more than one way to achieve an aim then dropping things on peoples heads. Sometimes when all you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail.
Strangely, and you might not realise this, but we agree with each other about the end result 100%. All that varies is our motivations and methods.
Consider this though, in 1939 my country went to war with Hitler, but we didn’t go to war with Stalin as well.
I am well aware of what you offer. Many ascribe to your views:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/VictorDavisHanson/2007/04/06/please_bomb_me!&Comments=true
It’s enticing to continue this charade (IMO that is what it is…) but no axiom to me to NOT do “what they expect us to”..especially now with the looming certainty of a nuclear Iran.
If we don’t do it..the Israelis will and then it will be total war- again.
“At any rate, the rightness or wrongness of the regime in Iran is irrelevant. You want them gone, need them gone for strategic or political reasons, then that is reason enough in itself.”
Irrelevant? Right and wrong? Do I sense a little non-judgemental thought? Gee. What’ll it take Chris? A nuclear exchange between Israel and Iran? Don’t like the concept of pre-emption?..Ask those hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead from Saddams regime or the quarter million Iraqis who died in trenches agianst Iran..
re- “…when all you have is a hammer..”
Puhhhh-lease, we have attempted about everything NON-HAMMER & a little tack hammer from time-to-time since ’79 to help Iran join the civilized nations. Hasn’t worked. We have been living with this growing “Hornets Nest in the attic” for too long and we’ve been getting bit regularly… Time to call the exterminator (exterminator delivered with hyperbole folks..).
LCD- simply Chamberlain vs Churchill. Same-same. Now or later, it’s inevitable.
b2