Iran: Quick! Look Over There! The Nuclear Distraction

Five days before 22 Bahman, the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution, but it appears the Ahmadinejad Government would prefer that folks look away.

Friday Prayers in Tehran, the last before the marches of 11 February, were very quiet, with the least-known of the prayer leaders (Emami Kashani) giving a relatively muted statement. And this morning, the State line is all Nukes, Nukes, Nukes.


CNN declares in excitement that Iranian Foreign Manouchehr Mottaki said Friday at an international security conference in Germany, "The amount of [Iran's] uranium [to be swapped abroad for higher-enriched uranium] is negotiable. But I am confident that a solution can be found." The New York Times trots alongside with more from Mottaki, “We are approaching a final agreement that can be accepted by all parties. I personally believe we have created conducive ground for such an exchange in the not very distant future."

This is not just a case of the Western media bigging-up a story and missing what is happening inside Iran. CNN took its lead from Press TV, which repeats on its website that Mottaki told the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, in a set-piece late-night meeting, "The most important point is the political will. Personally I feel this will is there." Equally important, Press TV has a second story, boosting Bildt's encouragement to Tehran to deal, "Go to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]. "Schedule a meeting as soon as possible according to what was agreed (at the Geneva meeting with the "5+1" powers) on October 1."

The Ahmadinejad Government's move is significant --- and coordinated --- enough for the Islamic Republic News Agency to get a quick story out on its English-language website (usually IRNA takes at least 24 hours to recycle stories from its Persian homepage), "Iranian FM upbeat on reaching a nuclear fuel swap deal."

Comments

[Megan]

For many 22 Bahman is not the anniversary of any Revolution, it is the anniversary of mullah coup d' eta. 22 Bahman (11 Feb 2010) is the anniversary of IRAN being hit by WMD (weapons of mass destruction) also known as Khomeini.

22 Bahman 1979 marks the day Khomeini, the Iran WMD, inflicted massive destruction; over one million perished, thousands jailed, women, ethnic and religious minorities classified as citizens with no rights, economy destroyed, respect in the international community obliterated, culture changed, natural resources looted, corruption legalized, criminals awarded to position of power, and justice died. 22 Bahman is the day the great nation of Iran experienced the darkness and chill of WMD also known as Khomeini.

Thirty one years later Iranians are trying to pick up the pieces, clean up the mess, and start all over again but realistically they face a monumental task.

22 Bahman is a sad day for many.

[Megan]

Nuke is the IR wagging the dog.

[Catherine]

And the party pooper is .......... Times Online! Once again with confidential documents in tow: Iran suggests ‘impossible’ deal over nuclear fuel in surprise move
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7017070.ece

Whoops! Hold on. Robert Gates has just gotten up:
ANKARA (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday he saw no sign a deal was close between Iran and Western powers .....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100206/wl_nm/us_iran_nuclear_11

[Catherine]

RE Megan post 1
I've met many in Iran who may express themselves in a less angry tone, but feel exactly the same. And these are not monarchists or apologists for the Sha's regime. Some of them were too old and/or bound by family to seek a new life elsewhere, but the younger and better-educated were trying to leave the country asap.

[Doug]

Come to Tehran

If you would travel
by every vehicle
in cadences of the heart
on foot, by car, by love
by the eye of the camera
the cellphone, the satellite,
in the spirit of the day
this would lift our spirits
convince the recalcitrant to be human

We who love our children
come to Tehran
to seize the holiday
make it ready for the world

Step aside from every intersection
all rogues obedient to evil leaders
who beat their sisters, their brothers
who rape their own children

Repent with your weapons down.
Behold, we seize the holiday
and you can
be bold enough
to untrain yourself
be human again

Here
parading, shouting, praying
showing you our passion
our eyes
flirting with freedom,
we beseech you to
embrace us
give us the kiss of life
if you would
dance with us in the streets of Tehran
dance with our words
our pictures, and
let the music of our protest voices
be singing in your heart
if your spirit is lofty
flying to Tehran

[Azar]

It is amazing to see how far the world leaders are prepared to go in order to keep this killing machine of Islamic Regime in Iran! Who are our true enemies? Are we doomed by the world for who we are? for what we have been? for what we are capable of achieving if we are let to be?
I do not support any individual, but I ask you ,who wanted Islamic Regime in Iran? people? I would like to believe by now 90% of ppl know how and by whom 1979 revolution was orchestrated and still are trying their best to haled down to it.
They are trying to cut our roots by killing our language,history, culture and anything that makes us Iranian or Persian so we become a lost nation such as Egyptian or Syrians, who think they are Arabs but they are not and for years we have been next in their least.
If on 22 Bahman or soon after that we do not end this regime sadly will be the end of us as a nation once known IRANIAN or "PERSIAN" . The regime will have mass killing and the World will just watch and send them few warning letters like last 30 years.

[Josh Shahryar]

Word.