Persian Realm

In the thick of the battle in Libya, Veteran War Correspondent John Simpson who has been in the line of fire more than once in his life proves If anything that political or historical assessments by so called "experts" are anything BUT Rocket Science (For lack of a better word). In 2008 Barbara Slavin  (senior diplomatic reporter for USA Today and current Jennings Randolph fellow at the U.S. Institute for Peace, who is often invited to speak with NIAC Panalists ) patronized a fellow Iranian compatriot who bluntly asked a question about the possibilities and risks of a surgical strike on Iran's nuclear installations ( as opposed to an invasion) by claiming that there was no such thing as Surgical strikes and recalled the bombing of Gaddafi's Head Quarters by former President Ronald Reagan in 1986 during which amongst the civilian casualties journalists had reported that a young girl was killed and posthumously adopted by Muammar Gaddafi. Interestingly John Simpson recalls the same incident but offers an entirely different perspective and conclusion to that of Slavin in 2008 in his latest report from Libya (currently bombed by Coalition forces with an aim to protect civilians and with hopes that the Libyan dictator will at best step down, at worst be overthrown by the rebels).

 

John Simpson Reports from Tripoli on March 25th 2011: 

Gaddafi’s Propaganda War Fails to Convince by John Simpson 

"Tripoli is hit by coalition bombs and missiles every night, yet there is little reliable evidence of any casualties. The coalition countries know that killing civilians would be disastrous in this war, and they are plainly making big efforts to avoid it.

Libyan television often shows news pictures which purport to be those of civilian victims, but they are impossible to verify. The authorities here are anxious to persuade the outside world that large numbers of civilians are dying.

And there is a precedent. In 1986, when the US bombed Tripoli, international opinion quickly turned in favour of Libya because there were many civilian casualties, and the international journalists who were in Tripoli at the time were able to confirm them.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi adopted a young girl as his daughter just as she was dying from her injuries, and to this day journalists often repeat the line that his daughter was killed in the bombing. It was a particularly clever propaganda stroke.

But times have changed, and so has military technology. The old myth of pinpoint precision bombing has become much more of a reality."

 

Barbara Slavin on Surgical Strikes in Libya being counter productive (ForaTv on Apr 8, 2008):

Middle East expert Abbas Milani and USA Today and reporter Barbara Slavin argue that U.S. "surgical strikes" are not a practical option for dealing with Iran's alleged nuclear program. 

 

The Panel interview John Simpson - a man who's been bombed by the USA and farted at by Gaddafi. 

Part I: 

Part II:

Poetess Simin Behbahani Compares Khamenei to Gaddafi: 

Poetess Simin Behbahani in a Recent Telephone Conversation said she was emboldened after hearing President Obama's Nowrooz 

Greetings in which the latter quoted one of her poems. 

Flynt Leverett & Hamid Dabashi: Iranians do not want to overthrow the Islamic Republic:

 

Related articles by Flynt Leverett:

 

Why Libya Gave Up on the Bomb - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com by FLYNT LEVERETT

Who's Really Misreading Tehran?  by FLYNT LEVERETT, HILLARY MANN LEVERETT

 

Donald Kagan Prof of History at Yale University (Go to 4 min 25 sec):

 

He explains that Machiavelli's Principles are best put to practice when it comes to International Politics

 

****************************************

****************************************

SATIRE: WHOSE THE EXPERT ? 

****************************************

**************************************** 

Mel Brooks the Stand Up Philosopher:

Danny Kaye: The Thinker:

 

Dr. Strangelove - Survival Plan:

 

 

Dr. Strangelove - Precious Bodily Fluids:

 

Daie Jaan Napoleon Best Of:

 

Patton Intro - George C. Scott:

 

 

Inglorious Basterds -trailer:

 

Dude - Rio Bravo:

 

 

 

Daie Jaan Napoleon - Tirandazyeh Doost Ali:

 

 

You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk ? 

"Un Taxi pour Tobrouk" aka "A Taxi for Tobrouk":

"Deux intellectuels assis vont moins loin qu'une brute qui marche...

 

NIAC members Lost In Translation:

 

 

Recommended Readings:

 

John Simpson on Eye Witness : Iran’s Revolution Revisited (bbc)

 

Hossein Bagherzadeh’s take onObama, Libya and Iran (Persian – Iranian.com)

NIAC Stop trying to Stop the War, Stop the Nukes Instead!!! by eroonman

 

Related Blogs:

Machiavelli's "The Prince" and the "Art" of Governing

LOST IN TRANSLATION: NIAC Welcomes Hamid Dabashi on Advisory Board

Other Related Blogs:

QUO VADIS ? Nero Sings While Tripoli and Tehran burn

Tunisia could benefit from bitter lessons of Iran’s clumsy '79 revolution

AUTHENTIC FRONTIER GIBBERISH: Egypt's Rebuffs Washington's Speed Up Calls ;0)

US, UN, Europe and the Arab League SHAME ON YOU !

SATIRE: Egypt's "Papyrus Revolution"

PRIMARY COLORS: Reza Pahlavi and Trita Parsi Take a Stroll Down The Political Lane ;0)

COLUMBIA PRESENTS: Academic Excellence With Hamid Dabashi & Sadri Bros