News

ostaad

i actually agree with virtually everything you've said here.  go figure. :-)

by the way gol-dust.  i flagged your comment as offensive. 

Dear Ostaad

Sometimes the best course of action is what I like to think as 'active inaction' when you consider the risk and benefits of an intervention and actively decide not to act. It is a situation that I would imagine occurs in many walks of life and different professions. Taking your point  regarding IRGC,The IRGC commanders could follow an 'active inaction' policy or actively try to derail things as far as the developing US/IRI diplomatic process.

From recent behaviour from Khamenei, we can actually see that he can be a practioner of the active inaction, for example when he said to a group of volunteers wanting to go to Gaza to fight that he  his hands were tied on the matter. Now I am not sure of how the IRGC commanders make tactical and startegic decision but I am sure you recall last year Quassem Suleimani of the Quds force brokered a peace deal between Shia militias in Southern Iraq( I think one side was Muqtada Al-Sadr) and actually saved a lot of blood shed.There were quite a lot of news feed on this but one was from Pepe Escobar of Real News which was quite informative,

//www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19675.htm

So my impression ( and not backed up by any inside knowleged ) is that the IRGC may just toe the line here given that it will probably work out for the best for them anyway- I think that they just do not have the luxury of over-reacting to this one- in the same way the regime has not over reacted to a number of of situation where doing so will have disadvantaged them. 

kahaleh, who's going to hang the bell around the cat's neck?

"...there is an opportunity in every problem and the guys in Pasdaran would do well if they just went with the flow". Would you like to tell them just that, girlfriend?  These guys will only "adopt" when they are clearly convinced their interests will be preserved and protected. Just like Halliburton, Bechtel, Boing and Lockheed will ALWAYS have something to do. They know that.  I'd like to have Mr. Mousavi and all other "candiates" explain that one point.

Treason!

AIPAC and their supporters are walking a narrow path of treason. I am not saying US should let IRI do all it wants, but it needs to find the solution that has US' best interests. However, AIPAC has a different agenda and will pursuit that at all cost, even when knowingly is not at US' best interest.

When one works for State Department or any other governmental post and their actions knowingly will harm US and tax payers, they should be prosecuted for treason.

best quote of the century!!!

Kazem Jalali, a hardline member of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, joked that it "would have been so much better to pick Ariel Sharon or Ehud Olmert as special envoy to Iran."

Dear Ostaad

As always a very learned contribution- Looks like this space needs watching. If Ross's job is to be writing reports then sounds like he is somewhat defanged.

My feeling about the Revolutionary Guards business interests is that with a little adoptation to the evolving situtation, they can do even more business if Iran's economy reaps the benefit of a rapprochment with the US. As they say there is an opportunity in every problem and the guys in Pasdaran would do well if they just went with the flow- time will tell no doubt.

PS IRANdokht Jan-

Thanks for your kind comment. As far as Obama is concerned, I can imagine he has not a lot of time to sample across the spectrum of opinions on all issues and I guess he relies a lot on his advisors- Biden seems like a good influence too. 

Ross is ok, I'm more worried about the "elements" in Iran

The guiding principles of the US Iran policy are clear. Iran and the US have decided to "negotiate" with one another in very open forums. There is no doubt Ross this there to look after Israel's interests. At this point the US has told Israel that its interest will be served by following the US lead, not throw temper tantrums, "play ball" but it can "remind" Iran of the "military option" every once in a while . I am of the strong opinion that having Likud in charge in Israel works for Iran because Likud's dealing with Iran going back the time when Khomeini was alive are public knowledge and well documented. Likud has never had any problems dealing with Iran.

Israel's aim is for Iran not to make "the bomb", and I am convinced Iran has made a decision not to "build" one - they can have parts unassembled sitting around, just in case. The US Iran relations HAVE been established and they ARE there.  I think Israel's main goal at this time is to toe the line, but not kept out of the loop. What Israel dreads more than Iran's non-existing nukes, is having the US-Iran relations normalized with Israel left of the game. Israel does not wish to be on the oustide looking in. Israel WANTS a seat at the table. That I'm sure has already been arranged, or considered by Iran - I'm guessing here. Ross is only there doing his little duties to Zionism, whis has said publicly to be his duty. He is harmless because he's exposed, known and watched by everyone and does what his boss, obama says.

The elements that I'm worried about the most are the people in Iran's fledgling military industrial complex who have had a pretty cushy position running medium to large business/military enterprises in Iran. Those elements have used the US bogieman to make sure their military-bsiness enterprises are well funded, just as the US has used Iran as a bogieman to milk the former East European counties that joined NATO. Those guys have a lot to do with the success and failure or the US Iran rapprochement.  Those wolves must be fed.

In short. Ross is only doing his job, he's not a dark and secret element. So what he threw a temper tandrum? He's probably been doing that even before his bar mizva.

PS. I would pay more attention to Holbrooke and Vali Nasr. Those guys' have their feet on the ground. I think from Obama down the line of command goes through Jones then to Holbrooke and Nasr. Rosss in the State, is going to write a lot of reports. That's just perfect for everyone involved. 

great article!

I hope Obama reads the Nation! 

Thanks for posting this khaleh joon.

IRANdokht