Oh, those papal mullahs
[ by Charles Cameron — Iranian diplo communiqué on Twitter uses Vatican imagery, huh? ]
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Here’s Seyed Abbas Araghchi‘s tweet announcing the conclusion of the first series of negotiations with Iran:
???? ?? ??? ??? ????. ??? ???? ?? ??????? !
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) November 24, 2013
Here’s the tail end of the Guardian article, Iran seals nuclear deal with west in return for sanctions relief, in which that tweet is translated:
The first announcement that a deal had been reached, by Ashton’s spokesman Michael Mann, and the confirmation by Zarif, were both made on Twitter – a first for a major global accord.
“Day five, 3am, it’s white smoke,” tweeted the deputy Iranian foreign minister, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, referring to the terminology used in Vatican for the announcement of a new pope.
Julian West, dear friend and one-time Telegraph war correspondent covering Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, quoted those two paras with approval, and commented:
Not just a first on Twitter, I’d say the first time an Islamic state has used a papal metaphor, thereby confirming my first impressions while reporting there early 2000s. These aren’t a bunch of woolly mullahs.
Woolly mullahs, Julian? I don’t know — but I too like the reference to white smoke and papal elections.
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For those who don’t like the deal — me, I don’t feel well-enough informed to want to comment — here’s Omer Bar-Lev‘s view, as presented in a Times of Israel piece titled Labor MK: Compared to strike, deal is ‘far superior’:
Considering the achievements such as the dismantling of [Iran’s] stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent, reducing the number of centrifuges, halting construction of the heavy water facility [in Arak], all the while the sanctions of Iranian oil and banking industries continue — compared to the alternative of a military strike at this point — it is clear that the agreement reached is far superior…
John Schindler‘s tweeted comment:
Bar-Lev is no softie, he’s the former CO of Sayeret MATKAL, the IDF’s top SOF unit.
and ah, yes, his next tweet:
I think it’s too soon to tell; I have no faith in Tehran.
I’ll buy “too early to tell” — curious, hopeful, wary, that’s me.
November 25th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
Thanks Charles. I’m thinking a bit more deeply about the whole thing after my very off the cuff comment.
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Of course it’s deeply ironic, not to say possibly misguided, to be celebrating any kind of nuclear power at all. (Yeah, I know the jury is out on that – “clean” nuclear fuel being one of the championed alternatives to fossil fuels versus all the dangers). And given the Catholic church’s current sullied rep, a bit ironic to be celebrating papal metaphors as well, especially with the inference that moslems are more sophisticated/cultured/enlightened if they use them.
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More to the point though, there may well be a much more devious game going on behind this. As a couple of friends, better informed on this than me, have pointed out two things: the Israelis get to keep their 300-odd nukes and now have a reason in their own minds if no one else’s for sending at least one strategic nuclear weapon to Iran; and two, the reason why the French opposed a 20% enrichment level was because that would enable Iran to produce ‘medical grade’ uranium that could be sold to developing countries, a market which french firms curently dominate.
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Wheels within wheels.
November 25th, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Hi Julian:
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I’m afraid my jury is out on a whole raft of things, nuclear energy included. I have a friend who is a nuclear chemist, and who has been involved in the cleanup of at least one decomissioned power plant — Cheryl Rofer of NuclearDiner — and following her has convinced me that (eg) the Fukushima disaster, though indeed highly problematic locally, has been wildly over-played and distorted by those opposed to nuclear energy.
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I’ve basically come to the conclusion that it’s best for me to contribute in those few areas where I’ve done my reading to the “due diligence” level, and to seek counsel on all else — particularly when I have a “side” whose opinions I’d like to believe without further inquiry!
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I’m not too worried by the “current sullied rep” of the Catholic Church — for one thing, Billy Graham’s grandson recently said he thought evangelicals, and missionaries in particular, were “worse” in terms of sexual abuse than Catholics — my own tracking suggests that both Benedict XVI and Francis are to be admired, far mnore than his “rep” would suggest in the case of Benedict. But who knows? There are, as you say, always wheels within wheels…
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So much (I’m thinking here of all complex global issues) depends on our angles of observation and our trusted resources — and so little in the way of decision-making is free of unintended consequences, feedback loops, second and thirds order effects…
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Lovely to hear from you, btw — always.
November 26th, 2013 at 1:50 am
It’s better than a nuclear weapon program or conflict, both alternatives to this. Also worth noting is the significant benefit to Israel in a demonized Iran, particularly by the Americans. Military budgets and other supports are linked to these developments. I like the ‘white smoke’ too Julian. As for popes, mullahs, churches and religious leaders…meh!