Would It Were Couched in Different Terms…
On the face of it, this announcement sounds pretty foreboding…
Mr Larijani was appointed by the new fundamentalist president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad to replace Hassan Rowhani, according to a senior Iranian official.
“Mr Ahmadi-Nejad has appointed Mr Larijani as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and hence the head of the negotiating team,” the official told the FT. “Mr [Hassan] Rowhani is not the secretary and head of the negotiating team anymore.”
Mr Rowhani has led negotiations on Iran’s nuclear policies with the EU since 2003, and is viewed as a moderate conservative by analysts. His departure may mark the beginning of a more hardline approach to Iran’s nuclear stance.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this. When you add Gateway Pundit’s reports on Iranian unrest to the mix, this whole thing could get very nasty quickly.
World Stuff | Crusader | 
August 8, 2005 10:59 am
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Iran has declared that it will resume nuclear conversion at Esfahan within one or two days. Europe has requested an emergency meeting of the IAEA to pressure Iran not to resume nuclear fuel cycle work. Israel is pressuring Ukraine to demand from Iran the 12 nuclear-capable X-55 cruise missiles that were smuggled there four years ago.
All of this is happening as the talks with North Korea are drawing to a crucial, and so far unpredictable, end.
So is World War III imminent? Hardly.
Over reaction is exactly what these unlikely allies are fishing for. The coincidence of declared threats by both countries is a bit too convenient. By cranking the nuclear threat pressure simultaneously, both North Korea and Iran are hoping to walk away with the most handouts.
Welcome to the Swilling, Kira!
As for WWIII, I wasn’t thinking in those terms. My very first thought is for an overstretched US military, when there’s so many contingencies that have to be planned for. North Korea seems to have perfected the waltz; sashaying up to the threats and rhetoric line, then spinning away with something in hand as collective breaths are released. The element of madness plays into any dealings with NoKo ~ everyone knows Kim is…different, but crazy like a fox or just certifiable? The checks and balances obvious in any relationship (as with Iran), aren’t clear and playable dealing with NoKo.
I think Iran’s agitation was pretty predictable ~ a great deal of it due to our presence next door. And, I believe, a natural reaction of the religious hardliners trying to consolidate and refurbish their reign. Things had been quietly moving along ~ time itself was relaxing their strict Islamic hold on society, with enough fits and starts in the past few years to give hope for a freer Iran. On a smaller scale, I would parallel it to the Communist Chinese hierarchy ~ somebody woke up one day and panicked at what was going on around them. The abrupt tone of the announcement replacing the moderate negotiator was an ominous sign for that hope.
I agree with you completely as far as ‘simultaneous’ saber rattling. We’ve got ourselves pretty well distracted in Iraq, so I’m sure they feel there’s no time like the present.