Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Iranian aftermath

Oliver Kamm is bullish:

It is important that our thankfulness on the captives' release, our pleasure on their return to their families, and our relief on the crisis's peaceful resolution should not obscure narrow considerations of partisan political advantage. Our side won; Iran's puppet-President lost. Good.
I think Kamm is over-optimistic. On the Iranian, and the Arab, Streets, the pictures of humiliated British marines have worked their magic. Kamm quotes from Richard Beeston Diplomatic Editor of The Times, who also said (not Kamm's chosen quote):
The British might not have been in a position to use force against Iran but they did demonstrate that they could muster powerful allies around the world willing to take up the cause of the captured British sailors and marines. Iran’s economy is already weak, further action could damage the Government’s power base.
Well, we wouldn't want to damage the Iranian government's power base.

Would we?

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