 On Friday, November 18, the New York Times published a full page statement of nuclear intentions by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which will likely serve as a key point of reference in the on-going debates on Iranâs nuclear program.
| Maybe a key point of reference for the Medes and the Persians and their fellow travellers here. Maybe not for the rest of us. |
Titled âUnnecessary crisis - setting the record straight about Iranâs nuclear programâ, the narrative (see appendix) was subsequently described by CNN as a âdetailed, point-by-pointâ discussion of the nuclear negotiation process during the past couple of years.
| We've been reading about those points for the past couple years. Unlike the intended audience of the ad, we've been watching the hands and the lips. It hasn't been a pretty picture. |
It debunked the myths about oil-rich Iranâs lack of need of alternative sources of energy, defended Iranâs negotiation postures and reiterated Iranâs willingness to continue negotiations.
| What's it say about Iran's truculence and the occasional remark about dropping nuclear bombs on Israel? |
In light of the gravity of the issue and the coming showdown at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting on November 24, where the US-European Union coalition will be pushing for Security Council action, it is important to reproduce the Iranian nuclear statement to provide a modicum of balance in the global mediaâs coverage of the subject, dominated as it is by a negative image of Iran as irrational, dogmatic and incapable of rational discourse.
| And truculent. Don't forget truculent. |
The US position is opposed by the dissenting voices of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries, which prefer an IAEA-based resolution of the contentious issue. The potency of Iranâs nuclear statement lies precisely in its effective debunking of its negative image, by presenting a detailed and comprehensive argument, backed by facts, invoking an image of Iran that the West, particularly the US, is often inclined to ignore. This alone, perhaps, may signal a major difference between Iran and pre-invasion Iraq, that is, Iranâs ability, and diplomatic sophistication, to launch an effective communicative counterpunch vis-a-vis the avalanche of Iran-bashing discourse, sometimes planted by the powers that be, seeking to manufacture a global consensus on Iranâs nuclear threat. ...
| Having read the advertisement, I'd say its coherence and reliance on facts is a matter of opinion. I don't think anyone here was particularly impressed. But we weren't predisposed to be impressed. |
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