Iran then and now

[HomeInspect]

Iran then and now





Do you think they were naive and complacent?

 

[TheOldSchool]

I think a lot worse things about that place than 'naive' and 'complacent.'

As long as Ayatollah Khamenei nothing there will change. And the women there will have to keep dressing like ninjas.

 

[waltky]

Good luck with that one...

Kerry: Obama Wants Diplomatic Solution to Iran
February 09, 2013 - New U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says President Barack Obama remains committed to a diplomatic solution over Iran's disputed nuclear program, but is ready to do "whatever is necessary" to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

On the job for one full week, Secretary of State Kerry is dealing with the most pressing global issues: Iran's nuclear program, the continued bloodshed in Syria, the situation in Mali, and human rights around the world. In his first bilateral meeting as the top U.S. diplomat, Secretary Kerry said the choice is up to Iran whether it is ready to talk or become further isolated. He said President Obama wants a diplomatic solution in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but is ready to take other steps to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon. "The president has made it clear that his preference is to have a diplomatic solution, but if he cannot get there, he is prepared to do whatever is necessary to make certain that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon," said Kerry.

Kerry said the P5+1 group, made up of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, is "unified" in its approach in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said the "window for diplomacy is still open" for Tehran, as the U.S. and its international partners prepare to meet with Iran in Kazakhstan in two weeks. "We've made our position clear," said the secretary of state. "The choice is really ultimately up to Iran. The international community is ready to respond if Iran comes prepared to talk real substance and to address the concerns which could not be more clear about their nuclear program. If they don't, then they will choose to leave themselves more isolated."

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, who Kerry hosted at the State Department Friday, echoed concern for a nuclear-armed Iran. "We believe that beyond Iran's material support for terrorism, beyond their abysmal and deteriorating human rights record, the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is the biggest threat to international peace and security," he said.

Both Secretary Kerry and his visiting Canadian counterpart also expressed deep concern about the continued bloodshed in Syria. Kerry, who succeeded Hillary Clinton in the diplomatic post, began the press availability underscoring the "extraordinary strength" in ties between the United States and its northern neighbor, which have a trillion-dollar trade relationship and a shared border of thousands of kilometers. Secretary Kerry said they discussed the Keystone oil pipeline that would run from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The project has faced opposition from environmental groups and President Obama last year postponed approval of extending the pipeline, requiring more environmental impact studies.

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Iran president still fiery in twilight of term
Feb 10,`13 -- There was nothing essentially new in the message to Washington from Iran's president on Sunday: Repeating last week's statement by the Iranian supreme leader that direct talks cannot happen as long as sanctions remain.

What drew attention was how Mahmoud Ahmadinejad injected himself into it. Ahmadinejad told crowds marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that he personally was ready to take part in one-on-one dialogue with the U.S. if Western economic pressures were eased. Even in the twilight of his presidency, Ahmadinejad's political ego remains as intact as ever - suggesting both a feisty prelude to June elections and efforts by Ahmadinejad to seek the spotlight after his second and final term.

While he was careful not to contradict Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the offer to represent Iran in possible future dialogue - whether real or rhetorical - was an indirect slap and suggests no easing of a political feud between Ahmadinejad and the ruling clerics. The supreme leader, not the president, oversees all critical matters of state, including picking envoys for international talks and setting policy toward Washington. Iran's political skirmishes pose no direct threat to the ruling system, but have become so much of a distraction that Khamenei has made a rare appeal for all sides to lower the tensions.

It's gone widely unheeded. Ahmadinejad has even warned against attempts to "engineer" the June elections. It's a reference to the powerful Revolutionary Guard and its plans to take an active role in the campaigning, but also a paradoxical swipe since Ahmadinejad's re-election four years ago touched off enormous chaos over claims of vote rigging. By most reckoning, Ahmadinejad should be limping into his final months.

His political capital has been sharply drained in a doomed bid to challenge Khamenei as the sole gatekeeper for all key policies and decisions. Key allies have been either arrested or politically neutralized over nearly two years. Last week, Ahmadinejad was publicly rebuked in parliament after trying to disgrace Speaker Ali Larijani - a longtime rival - with a purportedly secret videotape allegedly exposing corruption within the Larijani clan. "Very ugly," said Ahmadinejad after being lectured by Larijani about political ethics and then curtly dismissed from the chamber. Yet every time Ahmadinejad has been rattled, he's managed to regain his footing.

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