Last Updated 10:15 PM EST
The British government has lodged a formal protest with the Iranian government today, following news that eight local staff members of the British Embassy in Tehran have been arrested and charged with playing significant roles in the post-election violence in the nation.
The capture of the embassy staffers will no doubt draw comparisons to the 1979 hostage situation in which 52 Americans were held after the takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran. The latest arrests come after weeks of Iranian accusations of US and British meddling in the election aftermath.
“The idea that the British Embassy is somehow behind the demonstrations and protests that have been taking place in Tehran. … is wholly without foundation,” insisted British Foreign Minister David Milliband. The European Union has also condemned the arrests.
British interference in Iranian affairs has centuries of precedent, going back to the Qajar dynasty of the mid-19th century, when the British government captured the city of Herat (now part of Afghanistan) and enjoyed de facto control over much of the nation’s economic affairs and used it as a foil for Russian expansion into Central Asia.
Britain and the Soviet Union then launched an unprovoked invasion of Iran during World War 2 to capture the nation’s oil fields and to use its railroads to supply Soviet soldiers. This was followed closely by the joint US-British coup in 1953 to oust the democratically elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh in favor of the Shah, who would support British claims to the nation’s oil.
Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution relations between Iran and Britain have, like those between Iran and the United States, been strained by distrust. The British government, like the Americans, backed Saddam Hussein in his invasion of Iran in the aftermath of the revolution.
As if the Brits had nothing to do with the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan either! The Great Game is still being played and the Iranians know full well that locals could be used to instigate troubles, foreign ministers protests to the contrary. They, the West that is, continuously drags out the 79' embassy takeover as though it were some sort of holy Rubicon never to be crossed. It's like hearing senile morons shouting out "Remember the Maine!". I don't recall anyone being beheaded in the process and the only casualties being our own for a botched rescue attempt. Contrast that with all of the U.S. and U.K. "humanitarian" exploits recently and the endless body counts ( Oh, I forgot, we don't count that anymore.) and you realize who the "crazies" really are.
As if the Brits had nothing to do with the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan either! The Great Game is still being played and the Iranians know full well that locals could be used to instigate troubles, foreign ministers protests to the contrary. They, the West that is, continuously drag out the mummified memory of the 79' embassy takeover as though it were some sort of holy Rubicon never to be crossed. It's like hearing senile morons shouting out "Remember the Maine!". I don't recall anyone being beheaded in the process and the only casualties being our own for a botched rescue attempt. Contrast that with all of the U.S. and U.K. "humanitarian" exploits recently and the endless body counts ( Oh, I forgot, we don't count that anymore.) and you realize who the "crazies" really are.
lets put the queen up for war crimes then we can listen to what the little brits have to say
This is good news! The Iranian government has demonstrated that it knows who is coordinating the unrest and is not afraid to defend itself. The self-righteous braying of the London government and of its EU partners is pure amusement, both for the shameless hypocrisy it entails and for the pure impotence of the response. The Yankees will not pull the British chestnuts from the fire, just as they would not when the Iranians seized the Royal Navy boat party that had intruded into Iranian waters in the Shatt-al-Arab in March of 2007. Of course, the Yankees may very well attack Iran yet, but it will not be for the purpose of avenging the British for having been caught in the act of fomenting insurrection.
Eventually, all this will lead to war with Iran, probably by November this year.
Is there actually any evidence for this? Or does history count as evidence now? If no evidence aside from the prejudices of history is necessary, Russia could also be blamed.
The only evidence of violence I have seen has shown Iranian authorities clashing with Iranian protesters. Some embassies have received wounded, but that is all the "interference" I know of. Thus it is not clear how the British can be blamed for instigating the protests without evidence, while it is certain that the Basij has introduced brutal violence to the situation.
Whether this allegation of the Iranian government has any truth to it or not, it's amazing to me how uncritically one government's propaganda is received here while another's is automatically rejected. It reminds me of Orwell's essay on nationalism.
Okay, Colin, if the Rooskies are doing it, why would the Iranian government blame it on the British? I know, it's probably because the ayatollahs read George Orwell . . .