Official Condolences Found Lacking in Churlishness and Bellicosity

 

Predictably, lots of internet hoopla is being raised over that short and simple statement of official condolences:

The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

That's what states say when a foreign head of state dies, plus the references to human rights and freedoms. It would be juvenile and ill-mannered for spokesmen to do something like an end zone dance. 

International organizations, such as the UN and NATO, do the same. The UN was officially saddened, and its statement reads “The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Okay by me. 

The UN Security Council observed a moment of silence, which personally I'd have found awkward, but was in accordance with the protocol for such occasions. In the same way, a funeral isn't the time to start an argument or pick a fight no matter how justified. 

NATO expressed “Our condolences to the people of Iran for the death of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and others who perished in the helicopter crash.” Again, okay by me, and sounds like it was written by an adult. 

That's how the death of adversaries used to be handled when Washington was run by serious people, like Eisenhower, for instance. He did not perform any silly-ass melodrama when Stalin died. To the contrary, he issued his Chance for Peace speech. 

If we had leaders of Eisenhower's ability today, they might conceive of something similar toward Iran. They don't measure up to Ike, of course, but at least some of them don't lower themselves to doing an end zone dance. 

Ike's act of statesmanship would not measure up to contemporary standards of adolescent dick-wagging.

Chutzpah Has a New Definition

It means unmitigated effrontery or impudence, and is commonly illustrated by the example of a man who kills his parents and then pleads for mercy on grounds of being an orphan. Iran has now given us an even better illustration of chutzpah with its series of stories on the release of the Irbil 5, the Iranian pseudo-diplomats who were detained by U.S. forces after a raid on the Iranian liaison office in the Kurdish city of Irbil.



The Iranians are outraged because - hold on to your hat - the U.S. military invaded one of their diplomatic facilities and seized five of their diplomats!



How can such things happen? Hasn't the United States heard of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations? Hasn't anyone read Article 21 of that Convention wherein it clearly states that the premises of a diplomatic mission shall be inviolable and may not be entered except with the consent of the head of the mission? And that the States receiving such a mission are under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity? And that the premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission are immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution?



From the Fars News Agency, here are some examples of what is either world-class chutzpah or unconscious irony:

Iran to Sue US for Consulate Raid:

TEHRAN (FNA)- An Iranian top legislator on Tuesday underlined Iran's resolve to file a complaint against the US for its attack on the Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and abduction of several Iranian diplomats in January 2007.

[Member of the Parliament's Legal and Judicial Commission Salman] Zaker reiterated that such acts (attacking diplomatic missions) have revealed to the world that [the] West's principles and words on human rights are widely different from their actions.

Iranian Diplomat Blasts US for Violation of Int'l Treaties:

TEHRAN (FNA)- One of the freed Iranian diplomats who was in US custody for more than two years in Iraq lashed out at Washington for violating the
international treaties by abducting other countries' diplomats.

"The US forces violated all the international pacts by kidnapping us and they should account for their actions and the overt and open abduction of us," Mahmoud Farhadi who is also the commercial advisor to the governor of western province of Kermanshah told FNA at the airport Sunday night.

Released Diplomats Call US Raid on Iranian Consulate "Illegal":

TEHRAN (FNA)- The US raid on Iran's consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil was completely illegal, said one of the five Iranian diplomats recently released from the US military jails in Iraq after over 30 months of detention.

I certainly hope Iran gets legal redress for that invasion of the sanctity of its diplomatic mission. This business of invading embassies and abducting diplomats needs to be nipped in the bud, or else the Vienna Conventions won't be worth the paper they're printed on and no nation's diplomats will be protected.

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The above photos and many more are available via the Memory Hole.

Hot Dogs on Ice, For Now

Regarding the State Department's intention to engage in hot dog diplomacy with Iran, Department spokesman Ian Kelly told the press "there's no thought to rescinding the invitations to Iranian diplomats."

That was on Monday, June 22. But today, June 24, CNN's Political Ticker blog is reporting that the administration is, in fact, having second thoughts:

"I wouldn't say engagement is off the table, but it is certainly on ice," a senior administration official told CNN this week.

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Update: Associated Press is now reporting that the July Fourth invitations have been rescinded.

An offer for Iranian envoys to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties has been rescinded as the violent crackdown in Tehran continues, the White House said Wednesday.

"Given the events of the past many days, those invitations will no longer be extended," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

-- snip --

[State Department spokesman Ian] Kelly said no Iranians have accepted, and he indicated that the U.S. saw little reason for them to, given the political crisis over their disputed presidential election.

Sorry Iran, but The Great Satan no longer requests the pleasure of your company at his Independence Day celebrations.

Interesting that this announcement came from the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, vice the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly. And, is it just me, or does Kelly sound kind of glum over this party-pooping development?

Is Hotdog Diplomacy Still On?

What with everything going on in Iran right now, will U.S. Embassies still be
inviting Iranian diplomats to attend Fourth of July parties?

OK, But Just Don't Bring Your Own Fireworks

US Embassies to Invite Iranian Diplomats to Celebrate Fourth of July