| As the drama in Tehran over the detention of 15 | | | | to prove to the mullahs how impartial and sensible he |
| British marines drags on, the Iranian regime continues | | | | and the British government were by listening to |
| to escalate the confrontation. Today about 200 | | | | bogus Iranian accusations of duplicity on terrorism |
| Iranian revolutionary guards and intelligence agents | | | | policy by proscribing the democratic Iranian resistance |
| dressed up as Iranian "students" threw rocks and | | | | movement to the mullahs, the PMOI (MEK). |
| firecrackers at the British Embassy and scaled its | | | | Mr. Straw, or "Ayatollah" Straw as he was called by |
| fences while Iranian security forces held back from | | | | ordinary Iranians for his coziness with the mullahs, |
| intervening just enough to scare some sense into the | | | | shrewdly tried to ingratiate the British government |
| British personnel at the Embassy. | | | | with the rogue Iranian regime with an eye toward |
| Just so the message was not lost on the British, the | | | | reaping the benefits of huge commercial deals with |
| "students" chanted "British Den of Spies," a clear | | | | that regime at the expense of the resistance |
| reference to the hostage-taking episode in 1979 | | | | movement in Iran. |
| when another band of so-called students took over | | | | Not long after, in the run-up to the Iraq war, British |
| the US Embassy in Tehran and held US diplomats | | | | diplomats in Tehran negotiated Tehran's goodwill in |
| hostage for 444 days. Since that episode Tehran has | | | | exchange for British and allied bombing of the PMOI |
| learnt how to get its way in the international arena. | | | | camps in Iraq despite the group's neutrality in the |
| Throughout last week the Iranian regime paraded | | | | war. . |
| hapless British marines on TV screens and coerced | | | | But as they say "there is no such thing as a free |
| them to call on their government to withdraw from | | | | lunch." No doubt the British have followed a policy of |
| Iraq, and apologize for trespassing on Iranian | | | | appeasement for commercial gain and now they are |
| territorial waters. They also "hospitably" put a | | | | paying the bill. The Iranian regime, a major facilitator |
| headscarf on Leading Seaman Faye Turney's head to | | | | of the Iraq war and its main beneficiary is playing for |
| underline their message and intimidate a weak political | | | | keeps. |
| leadership in Britain. | | | | The US Administration has finally realized past |
| The EU offered lukewarm and hypocritical support | | | | mistakes and has vowed to disrupt Iranian agents |
| for its European partner. In an EU meeting in | | | | and networks in Iraq. In the last few months, several |
| Germany, France, Iran's second-largest EU trading | | | | Revolutionary Guards Corps' Qods Force generals and |
| partner, cautioned that further confrontation should | | | | commanders were captured red-handed in Iraq. The |
| be avoided. The Dutch said it was important not to | | | | Iranian regime, reeling from the blow, first struck in |
| risk a breakdown in dialogue. | | | | Karbala where its agents kidnapped five US |
| The British have themselves to blame for this | | | | servicemen in a highly sophisticated operation that |
| predicament. Niall Ferguson wrote in the LA Times | | | | went awry. The plan was to abduct and take the |
| that "Blair's timid response to his soldiers' abduction | | | | servicemen to Iran to be used as bargaining chips to |
| shows how weak-willed the once-imperial power has | | | | force US forces to return the Qods operatives. |
| become." Yet although the British response has | | | | Having failed in their goal, the Iranian revolutionary |
| indeed been timid there is no nostalgia for its days of | | | | guards now zoomed in on the coalition's weak link |
| Empire. Instead, the British and indeed the rest of the | | | | which happened to be the British. For weeks they |
| liberal democracies of the world should draw a clear | | | | planned to take British marines and finally ambushed |
| lesson from their present predicament. | | | | them last week. |
| The British have for the past decade been engaged | | | | The Iranian regime knew the British would not be |
| in a two-sided game of being nice with the mullahs | | | | able to react robustly because they have a vested |
| and purporting to support human rights and | | | | interest in relations with the mullahs. So they have |
| democracy in Iran at the same time. The British | | | | begun a familiar cycle of their own version of a |
| involvement in holding hands with the worst state | | | | "carrots and sticks" policy of coaxing the British to |
| sponsor of terrorism, gross violator of human rights, | | | | back down and apologize for their "arrogant" |
| and backward religious theocracy, was a calculated | | | | behavior. And what happens if the British don't do as |
| and exquisitely British way of benefiting from Iran's | | | | the Iranians want? Well, they will tighten the screws |
| huge market potential and at the same time | | | | bit by bit by staging demonstrations at the British |
| demonstrating the magic of European soft power. | | | | embassy and threatening to take over the "den of |
| The British kept telling an incredulous world that they | | | | spies," perhaps expel British diplomats, launch attacks |
| are coaxing Tehran out of its political isolation in order | | | | in Iraq, and make the British say sorry. All the while |
| to change its behavior and make it a responsible | | | | they are racking in billions of dollars of profits from |
| state actor on the world scene. The late British | | | | the spike in oil prices. |
| foreign minister, Robin Cook, engaged in "constructive | | | | Unfortunately, the British foreign secretary Margaret |
| dialogue" with Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi | | | | Beckett is already sounding conciliatory. "The |
| and gave Iran the opening it had been deprived of | | | | message I want to send is I think everyone regrets |
| for two decades. | | | | that this position has arisen. What we want is a way |
| The Iranian regime had until then been a pariah on | | | | out of it," she told the BBC the other night. Another |
| the international scene which it had earned with over | | | | government minister, Douglas Alexander, said Britain |
| 100,000 political executions in Iran, scores of hostage | | | | was engaged in "exploring the potential for dialogue |
| takings in Lebanon, terrorist attacks in Europe, and a | | | | with the Iranians." |
| radical bent on subverting the political order in other | | | | "In Middle Eastern warfare," retired US Army Lt. Col. |
| neighboring states. | | | | Ralph Peters wrote in the New York Post, "a classic |
| But Robin Cook and the British foreign office under | | | | tactic has been to retreat in the face of strength, |
| Prime Minister Tony Blair awarded the rogue Iranian | | | | but to attack when your enemy withdraws or shows |
| regime under Khatami's charade of a presidency, the | | | | signs of weakness." Surely the regime smells blood |
| gift of coming in from the cold where it really | | | | and will laugh at so much lack of will. |
| belonged. Subsequently, Jack Straw was kind enough | | | | |