Iran
Caption Contest: Ahmadinejad Edition
TEHRAN, IRAN – JUNE 14: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holds a press conference on June 14, 2009 in Tehran, Iran. Photo: Majid/Getty Images. Well, you’d be chuckling if you’d stolen… Continue reading
20 CommentsWhat Should Obama Say About the Iranian Elections?
Since I’ve been sceptical about some of Barack Obama’s rhetoric on democracy promotion and human rights, Stephen Hayes’s comments at the Weekly Standard merit some attention: Obama could tap into… Continue reading
1 CommentAhmadinejad’s American Supporters
I don’t pretend to have a sophisticated grasp on the complexities of Iranian politics and society, but it’s worth noting that Ahmadinejad had support outside Iran too. To wit, Daniel… Continue reading
6 CommentsGodwin’s Law: The Persian Variation
For real: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday accused his election rivals of adopting smear tactics used by Germany’s dictator Adolf Hitler and said they could face jail for insulting… Continue reading
4 CommentsWho leads Iran?
Marty Peretz makes a sensible point: A story by Parisa Hafezi at Reuters knocks the wind out of the expectation that, if Dr. A’jad loses his re-election campaign, Iran’s nuclear… Continue reading
5 CommentsHumbling Free Expression Awards
I am always blown away by the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards. But for some reason, last night’s event seemd to throw up an even more astonishing roster… Continue reading
0 CommentsBombing Iran? Counter-productive and unlikely to even work.
Of all the many reasons to be wary of bombing Iran, one of the best is also one of the simplest: it won’t work. Or, rather, whatever advantage there may… Continue reading
36 CommentsDeterring or Living With Iran?
Ross Douthat suggests that rather than look to US-Soviet relations, it might be more useful to recall how the world was terrified by the prospect of a nuclear China in… Continue reading
4 CommentsBenjamin Netanyahu’s Recipe for Disaster
The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg has a very interesting interview with Benjamin Netanyahu which includes this passage: Netanyahu offered Iran’s behavior during its eight-year war with Iraq as proof of Tehran’s… Continue reading
41 CommentsBombing Iran is Good for the Iranian Soul. Apparently.
Elliot Abrams, veteran warmonger and neoconservative, reminds us that while there are always those who find themselves fighting the last war there are also those who forget that the last… Continue reading
5 CommentsLiving with a nuclear Iran
Dan Drezner asks his "realist colleagues" if they can think of any reason why Iran should or would give up its nuclear ambitions. Stephen Walt offers some reasons why, unlikely… Continue reading
13 CommentsObama and Iran
Jonathan Freedland warns Guardian readers today that Obama is not a dove but, rather, a "smarter hawk". Fine. Here's how he summarises Obama's approach to Iran: The new disposition on… Continue reading
2 CommentsLearning from Iran
I’m talking about kidneys of course. Over to Alex Tabarrok: Only one country in the world has eliminated the shortage of transplant kidneys. Only one country in the world has… Continue reading
1 CommentMahmoud Ahmadinejad: SNP Sympathiser or Labour Agent?
Crivvens. Whatever next? An apology for 1978? IRAN sought to ally itself with Scotland last night, praising Alex Salmond’s administration for its anti-war stance and suggesting Tehran has more in… Continue reading
1 CommentYanks: Iran Nixes Nukes
If true, this is the best news to come out of Washington in a long, long time. Turns out the Iranians may not be nuts after all. Who knew? The… Continue reading
0 CommentsAmerica, Hell Yeah…
Like everyone else, I gotta love this Saturday Night Live response to Mahmoud "No gays in Iran" Ahmadinejad. Hat-tip: GFR
0 CommentsDepartment of Problem Solving
Ahmadinejad at Columbia: A) Question: why do you execute homosexuals? B) Ahmadinejad answers that, well, the US has capitol punishment too… C) The President then boasts of the efficiency of… Continue reading
0 CommentsAhmadinejad and Irving
Reasons why jailing David Irving for "Holocaust Denial" was a bad idea, cont.: It allows Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to say that clearly there must be something to this point of view… Continue reading
0 CommentsColumbia’s Persian problem
I would not have invited Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia University today, but now that the invitation has been made it should go ahead. In general, however, I agree… Continue reading
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