Debbie Schlussel: Arab Nations See Brit Hostage Incident as Ahmadinejad Victory
The Arab nations of the world see the Ahmadinejad hostage standoff as a victory, claiming it shows that "diplomacy" works.
But does it show that at all? Not really. Ahmadinejad held hostages and then released them. What did he get out of it? Not much. So if you count that as a victory, then Israel should count its incursion into Lebanon as a victory. And it wasn't that at all. The victory was in showing that both the U.S. and Britain are paper tigers. But we already knew that. Years of tiptoe-ing around Iraq and the rest of the Muslim World instead of showing them who means boss was a victory in and of itself. This is just a tiny episode of that larger pic.
On the other hand, a missing official from the Iranian embassy, Jalal Sharafi, in Iraq was mysteriously set free a/k/a released by U.S. officials--a decision made by the White House, reports the New York Sun. Mysteriously, right after that, the Brit sailors were released (in new suits). That's hardly "diplomacy." That's called "negotiating with terrorists" and making deals with them. Don't forget, Iran is on the State Department terrorist list. And making the U.S. deal with Islamic terrorists is, indeed, a victory for the Arabic world--a stupid victory we handed to them.
More on the Arab world's assessment from the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire:
ARAB ENVOYS SAY IRAN WON the 13-day standoff over British sailors.By releasing the Britons - smiling and dressed in new suits - President Ahmadinejad scored a propaganda coup. "He showed the world that Iran can be reasoned with, that confrontation is not the way to go," says one Arab ambassador to Washington. "The U.S. would be wise to open up to Tehran," says another. "The best way to shake things up would be to engage Iran." Arab diplomats applaud House Speaker Pelosi's Syria trip, saying it could help ease frictions between Washington and Damascus.
U.S. allies in the Gulf, while worried about Tehran, also tell the U.S. they won't support a military campaign against Iran as debate bubbles within Bush administration over whether to conduct another Persian Gulf naval maneuver. The latest message comes from Bahrain, site of large U.S. naval fleet and home to a restive Shiite Muslim majority sympathetic toward Iran.
Sorry, but "engaging" Iran won't do a damn thing. It's what we've been trying to do for years, while they've been developing nuclear weapons. As for the "allies" in the Gulf, they never really support us, anyway. They are the same "allies" who enabled the 9/11 hijackers and then wouldn't cooperate with our investigators. They're the same "allies" that hate us but put up with us when there's something in it for them.
If they are allies, who needs enemies?
Posted by Debbie on April 6, 2007 10:50 AM to Debbie Schlussel