generalspeaking

Invitation to Inspect

Ingrates. No sense of polite obligation whatever, apparently.

Iran has gone out of its way to invite the diplomatic corps of various countries that have demonstrated helpfulness to its nuclear ambition in the past, just to show how compliantly willing the Islamic Republic of Iran is to world demands that it honour its pledge not to produce nuclear weapons. And what do the two most influential countries do?

Why, Russia and China indicated they had no plans to join the week-end tour of Iranian nuclear sites. Most discourteous, quite unobliging for erstwhile encouraging colleagues.

However, the event was not to be postponed, and proceeded nonetheless. In attendance were other luminaries. Iran's IAEA ambassador, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, declared himself "very pleased" with the seven ambassadors who did agree to fly to Tehran. Let's see now, Egypt (surprise! all that bad blood between them has seemingly dissipated...), Cuba, Syria, Algeria and Venezuela.

All set for a visit to the Natanz uranium enrichment installation and the Arak reactor.

Truth is, Iran was simply not invested with the idea of playing generous host to Western diplomats; they had their chance and they foolishly shrugged off the opportunity. The European Union? Their unfortunate loss, but Iran can live with the snub. It has its solid friends in Cuba, Syria and Venezuela - oops, Algeria too.

Plenty in common with Algeria which like Tunisia has suffered unemployment- and high-food-cost riots. None quite as efficient as Iran in implacably putting down those riotous protesters. Could be Egypt was more interested in learning from Iran how to pacify protesters than looking at the nuclear installations.

Just wonder, as an idle mind would: did Iran's capable and knowledgeable nuclear scientists and technicians conduct an inspection tour of the Stuxnet-hit P-1 machines at Natanz, all 984 of them that suffered such a deplorably unfortunate set-back?

Labels: Iran, Technology, Traditions, Troublespots

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, January 16, 2011