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National Nuclear Day in Iran

09lede_iranshow.1.2006

I think they mean “We certainly have a right to use atomic energy.'” Wasn’t Sally Field stuck in Iran? Surely she could have helped on the verbiage. This was taken at Iran’s first National Nuclear Day in 2006. Yesterday was the fourth. Here’s how it went:

Addressing the audience, the president [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] declared two significant achievements as nuclear fuel packaging and its preparation for use in reactors to produce electricity.

The president cited the second achievement as trial of a new generation of centrifuges which multiplies the capacity of existing centrifuges.

Although National Nuclear Day has a certain ring to it, don’t you think so?, we must admit that even Arbor Day generates more excitement if not electricity. Anyway, a fair amount of Ahmadinejad’s activities in this regard feels a lot like nose rubbing – hence the English on the poster above, not to mention the doves.

The Guardian has an interesting story about the political aspects of National Nuclear Day in the changed atmosphere attending the new American President:

[Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei realises that during the expected negotiations, Obama would prefer a reformist resident of the presidential office in Louis Pasteur Street in Tehran. This is why he is waiting to negotiate with Iran after the Iranian presidential elections. He does not want to improve Ahmadinejad's chances. [At least to writer Meir Javedanfar; neither Khamenei nor Obama have indicated any of this.]

The story explains that Ahmadinejad attended a football game between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran lost and people, already wearying of him, decided he brought bad luck.

Imagine how hard it is to shake off the kind of trivia that knocks off politicians in this country, and bad luck, or ghadame shoor, sounds a pretty devastating blow on Ahmadinejad’s gong as he gears up for reelection.

The Guardian opines that what we called nose rubbing could have a second purpose:

However, the international community should understand that promoting one's capability and leveraging power is a tried and tested negotiation method. In other words, there is also the possibility that forthcoming statements could be mere bolstering to improve Iran's position before the start of negotiations with the US.

Seems kind of like the same thing to us, but okay. As the picture above shows, Ahmadinejad can sometimes be as transparent as a five-year-old trying to be crafty. Iran’s standing as a major threat may not sound as major a beep on the world radar as before, but bears close attention as the negotiations gear up.

In the meantime, happy National Nuclear Day, Iranian good folk. Nuclear energy is a gift. Use it peacefully, use it well.

Ahmadinejad, very tiny, the way we like him.

Comments

we should all read and heed what Michael Rubin writes in the Wall Street Journal concerning Iran:

http://www.meforum.org/2115/what-iran-really-thinks-about-talks

Yes, every country has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. BUT, the Iranian President has already said that Israel should be driven into the sea and the Iranian Shiite religious extremists in power cannot be trusted with uranium enrichment technology. We are dealing with a regime as anti-semitic as Nazi Germany was. It's sad that we can't see that any longer.
Anonymous said…
So what do you suggest we do, nuke Iran? invade? your ideas that have somehow escaped the entire foreign policy community are welcome.

The Iranian leadership won't act militarily on their antisemitic worldview, even when and if they acquire nuclear weapons, because 10 minutes after they start anything Israel will turn Tehran into a parking lot. And they're fully aware of that. So maybe a little less foaming at the mouth is in order.
Anonymous,

As I just posted at my blogsite:

http://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/04/national-nuclear-day-in-iran.html

(1) Do not compromise with evil ever.

(2) Pray the Rosary (it's what Pope Pius V said to do in 1571 and it worked then, so it'll work now)
Why hasn't my response to anonymous yesterday been posted? I am not foaming at the mouth, nor do I agree that anyone should pre-emptively strike at Iran. I merely suggest that we do not compromise with evil - no deals with the Iranian Shiite regime till it opens its nuclear program to full IAEA inspection. I also encourage that we pray just as Pope Pius V told Christians in Europe to pray on October 7, 1571. How can that possibly be inflammatory?
Mark,

Thanks for posting my reply to anonymous. I don't agree with initiating force against Iran at all. Force initiation is always immoral and wrong. I do think we have to pray for peace. Enemies like the Iranian president are rarely defeated with force of arms unless a lot of innocent people get killed in the cross fire. It's better we pray God softens his heart. That being said, as a nation, we shouldn't give into the current regime one inch. Placating that regime would be just as wrong as initiating force, because placation only shows we're weak and we'll do anything to compromise principle for the sake of expediency. That didn't work with Neville Chamberlain and it won't work now.

You don't have to post this, but I just wanted to say thanks.

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