Amir Taheri remains a signifiant asset, those that continue to follow his intelligence briefings as I do remain indebted to man who embodies the highest standards of international affairs. His latest brief on how the American’s fared as they grappled with Iran in Almaty, Kazakhstan (actually the hotel name is Rixos, pronounced Ri-owes) will notice that the Iranians are marking time.
What are the American’s doing: naval gazing!
This won’t play out well for Israel nor Syria.
Let’s outlay the intelligence briefing: The 5 + 1 (Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China, U.S. & Iran) met with Iranian officials with (try not to laugh) the EU foreign policy spokeswomen Catherine Ashton. They will meet again next month in Istanbul.
The leadership in Iran has met three objectives.
1. They bought time. By agreeing to ‘talk’ for six months straight, the Iranians have purchased time from any American attack.
2. They have enhanced the public prestige of the ‘Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei. Khamenei will now be given the political support to chose Iran’s next President, a consequent the American’s failed to anticipate. Iran’s chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili’s standing has grown and with it Khamenei’s hand and the requisite authority to ratchet up the repression at home. Saeed Jalilli gained his ideological credentials in the 1980 Iran-Iraq war, where he lost a leg. Iran’s ‘blade runner’ is running circles around the American’s. Ahmadinejad’s hope of elevating an aide named Esfandiar Masha’i is now lost.
The American’s never anticipated the possibility of splitting and weakening the Iranians politically at home during an election. They play chess, we play checkers.
3. Loosening economic sanctions.
What Washington should know along with Jerusalem is that four of the five member nations have no fear of Iran. They remain weak and politically divided. The Russian dream of consolidating its hold on Persia is almost complete.
How is this going to play out: we should expect western media to advance the Iranian talking points of normalization of relations, a nomenclature useful to the idiots at foggy bottom and turtle bay!
Tehran 1 : The Great Satan 0.
William Holland
William Holland 