News Commentary – March 20, 2009
At the risk of sounding cynical, Obama’s much-publicised overture to Iran may be no more than a piece of calculated political theatre.
Even the timing of the president’s announcement was suspect: falling as it did on Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. It’s almost as if, in true Hollywood style it was calculated for maximum political profit.
As yet Obama’s gesture remains no more than fine words however. There has been no concrete change in U.S. policy toward Iran and the Iranian government whilst welcoming the gesture says it expects more if Obama is sincere.
Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, an Iranian presidential aide told Reuters that while Iran “can forget hasty behaviour … we are waiting for practical steps by the United States."
The new US administration needed a "fundamental change in attitude", he said. But Iran would "not show its back" to Obama if the US put its “words into practice.”
To prove his sincerity, Javanfekr said, Obama would first have to lift sanctions and curb America’s unstinting support for Israel.
Will he do so? We think it highly unlikely given the polical power of the pro-Israeli lobby in Washington and its hold over Obama’s administration.
The timing of Obama’s overture was significant in more ways than one. For it came at the same time as another far blunter message came from Shimon Peres, the president of Israel.
Broadcast over Israel Radio’s Farsi channel, Peres addressed the people of Iran rather than their political leaders.
“At the start of the new year”, said Peres, “I urge you, the noble Iranian people … to reclaim your worthy place among the nations of the enlightened world.”
More fine words but the fact Israel’s political leadership is prepared to resort to such utterances is perhaps a measure of how seriously they view the potential threat from Iran.
However as others have noted, President Obama is a
master of deception: saying one thing and doing another. And far from serving the interests of the American people he is in fact working for the Zionists, Big Money and the captains of Wall Street.
He has only been in office a few months but his tendency to delude and deceive is becoming all too apparent, at least for those with the eyes to see.
Indeed Tehran may view Obama’s approach in a similar light. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is
reported to have said that he sees no change in America's attitude towards Iran.
Nor do we. Beyond the fanfares of the Western mainstream media and Obama’s carefully choreographed gestures there has no been concrete change in U.S. policy.
Nonetheless, the Western mainstream media is already reporting Tehran’s cautious response as a “
rejection of Obama’s hand of friendship”. As if Iran were the belligerent party.
The ruse it seems is already working: casting America as the “good guy” and Iran as the villain.
So after decades of strained relations, Obama’s sudden turnaround may be no more than a piece of deft deception in a political stage-play.
Which is why this website remains deeply cynical about Obama’s apparent appeasement of Iran. A little hardheaded scepticism would not be out-of-place when assessing this president whose fine words and gestures may cloak a far more sinister intent.
Last updated 23/03/2009
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