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Too Jewish For Iran

By Track-A-'Crat on June 15, 2009 at 10:01 PM in Iran

President Obama doesn’t only bow to the Saudi king.

He’s now bowing to the theocracy in Iran as well, by spinelessly acquiescing to their demand to remove Dennis Ross from his position as US envoy.

And the president is choosing to do this at perhaps the most dangerous moment that Iran’s theocracy has faced in the thirty-year history of the Islamic republic.

His misguided touchy-feeliness empathy with the scumbag dictators of the world is now getting scary.

There are two things about Ross that don’t exactly please the mad mullahs.

One is that his new book, Myths, Illusions, and Peace – Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East, backs the possible use of military force against Iran.

And the other is that he’s Jewish. Which, in my mind, makes Ross the perfect choice for ambassador to Iran, never mind any lesser position.

Madeleine Albright, though nothing special in herself, was a masterstroke of an appointment for being female and Jewish – having her represent the most powerful country on Earth made Middle Eastern tyrants confront the two things they hate most in the same person. Awesome.

Obama is doing the exact opposite here.

More so even than acts of strength, acts of weakness on this scale are never forgotten.

  • ScottVA

    This Democrat has said it a thousand times before the election and will say it again after…. Obama is a FRAUD and USER and to add insult to injury he’s inexperienced and spineless …. not much else to say I guess… maybe that’s he’s also secretly aspiring to be a dictator too!

    • TexasMirth

      This former Democrat agrees with you, ScottVA.

      • tead off

        ditto

  • Tex-Mex Soup

    but but but oblahma our lord and savior is making it all better with our new BFF’s….they really do love us over there and can’t wait to have sleepover’s at our house. (meant to be sarcastic, just in case)

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      Heh, sarcasm can very easily be lost in print but it was still pretty clear TMS!

  • Linda Anselmi

    Thanks for the post T-A-C.

    I hadn’t heard of Mr. Ross’ removal.

  • Cindy

    Very good post, except Madeleine Albright is, I believe Episcopalian. I think she found out late in life that she has some Jewish heritage. It’s my understanding that she does not consider herself to be Jewish, as far as practicing the Jewish religion.
    Someone may know better than I.

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      Cindy,

      You are correct. Albright’s parents were Jewish before converting to Catholicism, while she herself was baptized a Catholic and is now an Episcopalian, I believe.

      Be that as it may, the fundamentalists in Iran consider anyone with any Jewish lineage to be Jewish themselves.

      In much the same way that they consider anyone with Persian heritage to be Iranian. Which is why there are sometimes problems with people of dual nationality entering Iran and subsequently finding it much more difficult to leave, once the Iranian authorities confiscate their “foreign” passport:

      http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=132000

      • Ellen D

        OK, where does it stop?

        No Jews for Muslim countries.
        No Protestant for Ireland.
        No Catholics for Protestant countries.

        As Tom Lehrer used to sing:
        “The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Dutch,
        and I don’t like anybody very much.”

        I thought Americans were Americans.

        When I was in Italy after the Achille Lauro terrorist attack on Americans and very few other Americans were there, whenever we saw other Americans (and you recognize each other, believe me) we’d hug and shake hands and compare State backgrounds. This went for all race/colors – we were Americans first.

        Sad to think that spirit is over.

  • Hank

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate Republican is asking for information on any role first lady Michelle Obama’s office may have played in her husband’s decision to fire the watchdog for the federal AmeriCorps program over his investigation of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

    Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa requested that Alan Solomont, chairman of the government-run Corporation for National and Community Service, which runs the AmeriCorps program, provide “any and all records, e-mail, memoranda, documents, communications or other information” related to contacts with officials in the first lady’s office.

    The Associated Press: Grassley wants more details on fired AmeriCorps IG

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hR-c9qK-DfN8zbpd-kWamzFIZU-wD98RF20G3

    http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/more-details-emerge-in-president-obamas-firing-of-inspector-general.html

  • SHV

    Dr. Albright’s mother was Jewish, therefore she is Jewish, irrespective of religion.

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      Yup, that’s the long and short of it.

      • Chicago Joe

        She discovered her Jewish roots well into her career, if I remember correctly.

        • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

          Yep, although there are substantive doubts surrounding her 1997 “discovery” of her roots:

          http://www.slate.com/id/1048/

    • goldengrahme

      Judaism is a religion. To be a Jew means practicing
      that belief, just as being a Catholic requires one to adhere to the canons of Catholicism.

      I may be a white American but nonreligious…that
      may simply make me a person with generally Anglo/Saxon bloodlines, but not a member of any religious sect. IMO, many leftist “Jews” are seeking to disassociate themselves from tribal connections, finding release as hostages of history.

      Sometimes they go too far and become radical, often destructive to themselves and their societies. Two-thousand years of social subservience is difficult to overcome by meekly turning the other cheek.

      It is the racist and recent political schemes, such as proffered by the NAZIs, that separated individuals along ethnic bloodlines, rather than nationality or religion. That is a powerful tool used to divide and conquer. NAZI fundamenalism allowed no avenue for conversion.

  • TeakWoodKite


    The source for the story is by Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent    .

    Trak-a-Crat, have you seen any other sources for this? I do not doubt the verasity of his report, I just get leary see the phrase “sources in Washington”.

    Amb. Ross might work out well as a liason between the NSA and State and the Isreali military but time will tell.

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      Apologies all for the barrage of comments.

      TWK, I’ve about it in the WaPo and NYT as well, but Haaretz, as you say, is the source (though unmentioned in those two).

      No specifics regarding the Washington source, but no surprise there…

      • TeakWoodKite

        Thanks. More folks are going under the bus.

        What is interesting is that no other replacement name was floated. Why? (brace yourself Evey)

  • J

    Good riddance to Ross being tossed out of the ring. Ross’s conflicts of interest finally caught up with his crooked keester. Ross’s ties to Israeli defense and intelligence and hawkish views bought him the farm. Ross also failed to register himself under FARA as an agent for the Israeli government.

    Good riddance, Ross was the wrong man for the job.

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      If his conflicts of interest were so egregious, J, then one would have hoped that the Obama administration wouldn’t have requested him back at State in the first place.

      As it is, the perception will be of a climbdown that is favorable towards the Iranian regime, which I don’t think is the impression we want to be portraying to them (not to mention the rest of the world’s nutters).

  • Craig Della Penna

    I am reduced to quoting Gomer Pyle: “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!”

    • Mandelay

      This works for a lot of current situations!

  • rjj

    I haven’t been here in a while. Does Crat actually know anything about Iran, or is this just shit slinging?

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      rjj, let me know which parts exactly are “sh*t slinging” and I’d be glad to set you straight on them.

      Plus Iran is barely even mentioned in the post, it’s more about Dennis Ross, so I’m struggling to see where your sensibilities may have been offended.

    • NomNomNom

      are you always so rude? or do you just like sh#t slinging? the article is clear enoughl; judge for yourself whether or not you agree with it jerk.

    • hokma

      What part don’t you understand or is reading comprehension a problem? You should be specific when you are making a comment like that.

  • William L. Donlon

    The purge is on in the Obama Administration! Jews are being forced out of all senior positions in the New Administration. Dennis Ross is the latest to be purged from his post as Ambassador to Iran for the sole reason that Mr. Ross is a Jew.

    A Commission has been set up “to review the credentials” of those teaching in our Universities. Care to make a wager what this is about?

    Bowing to the theocracy of Islam as well as the Jew baiting theocracy of Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan (Nation Of Islam), Obama, proves he is not spineless. Sacking Dennis Ross from his position as US envoy because he is a Jew, is “The Foreign Policy Agenda” of the Obama Administration and his fellow Chicago anti semitic mentors.

    This is how it started with Hitler. Jews were removed from posts in Government for “the crime of being a Jew”.

    We have a World wide economic depression for which Jews are being scapegoated, and the rise of anti semitic dictators in the Middle East and Washington. Exchange Berlin For Washington and you have the return of the 1930s..

    History does repeat itself.

    Sieg Heil Mine Fuhrer!

  • hokma

    Apparently Obama is getting foreign policy advice from his ole pal Reverand Jeremiach Wright.

    • kenoshamarge

      “Ouch”

  • Karen

    I heard Dennis Ross speak about 5 years ago and was very impressed by his knowledge and his wisdom.

    If only Obama were have as smart or half as wise….

    • http://noquarter foxyladi14

      never happen..

  • Patrick Walker

    The appointment of Ross was a cave-in to Israel and the lobby. Theproblem is that Ross was a serious impediment to any sort of deal with Iran. He just cowrote a book that, yes, illustrates the problem people had with him. He believes that diplomacy is little more than foreplay for war.

    All you had to do is read about his behaviour at Camp David and Taba in 2000 to see why this guy does not belong in the the State Department, even as a janitor…

    • hokma

      “The appointment of Ross was a cave-in to Israel and the lobby.”

      This is a convenient excuse for the anti-Zionists.

      There are two reasons why Ross was fired:

      1. He is Jewish and, in case you have not noticed, Iran hates Jews.

      2. The book he co-wrote points out that there is no linkage between the Israel/Palestinian issue and Iran’s nuclear weapon development other than to create a distraction that favors Iran. It is a POV that counters Obama’s.

      “He believes that diplomacy is little more than foreplay for war.”

      Nice try, but what Ross believes is that you need to pursue aggressive diplomatic efforts if you are to have a legitimate reason for war. In the case if Iran, the feckless naive policies of Obama will leave Israel with no option. Obama is an example of not pursuing aggressive diplomacy. His response to the events in Iran were late and were weak. Unless there is some change in behavior after this Iran election I think we can expect to see Israel have to take matters into their own hands.

      • Patrick Walker

        The book he co-wrote points out that there is no linkage between the Israel/Palestinian issue and Iran’s nuclear weapon development other than to create a distraction that favors Iran. It is a POV that counters Obama’s.

        Why did you even bring this up as a connection?

        Of course Ross wants war with Iran. A bunch of them got together in November and December. Ross was part of this group, the Orwellian named “Bipartisan Policy Center”, that wrote an op-ed on November 3 stating that a full blockade of Iranian imports and exports was not only the first step in an act of unilateral war but that it was feasible; what’s more distrubing is that it was very Bushlike, that this act of war would not be based on proof just the remote possibility of something.

        It is said it was this article, and the criticism of him by fellow Clinton staffers during 2000, where HRC opposed the idea of Dennis Ross on Obama’s transition team. It was Ross who sabotaged things in 2000, by throwing tantrums and food around when Palestinians wouldn’t capitulate to Israeli demands. Talk to Saeb Erekat and even Clinton staffers about it…

        Obama isn’t caving to Iran; Obama made a big mistake and trying to fix it. I expect in a few months that details of Ross’ behaviour will leak out.

        Hardliners in Iran *love* the idea of Dennis Ross as envoy because Ross has little credibility with the international community and his presence rather undermines the idea the US is pursuing good faith talks with Iran. So when they inevitably break down as designed, the US won’t have much to stand on for international support. I can tell you Russia and China will not be aboard making a UN resolution impossible to pass. People globally paid a price with credibility or actual lives because of Bush’s Iraq shenanigans. They’ll be wary to have it happen again.

        Keeping Ross helps Iran, not the other way around.

        • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

          “Of course Ross wants war with Iran.”

          That’s a pretty strong viewpoint, Patrick, to say the least.

          And it’s entirely sensible to bring up the false Israel-Palestinian/Iran linkage. The solution of one does not depend upon the other. The Iranian theocracy likes the linkage as it buys them just about infinite time within which to fully develop their nukes.

        • hokma

          “Why did you even bring this up as a connection?”

          Because you were talking about why he was fired and this was a critical reason.

          “Of course Ross wants war with Iran.”

          No one wants war with Iran and you cannot point to anything that shows that Ross does. More importantly Iranians don’t want a war with Israel and vice versa.

          “a full blockade of Iranian imports and exports was not only the first step in an act of unilateral war but that it was feasible; what’s more distrubing is that it was very Bushlike, that this act of war would not be based on proof just the remote possibility of something.”

          You sound like one of those Daily Kos loons when you call the Bipartisan Group Orwellian. Do you even know what that means or is it one of those big words you picked up on DK?

          They came out with a report in September – before the election – and set up a strategy to more aggressively force Iran to change behavior and said that the Bush policy had not worked.
          What this task force called for was a period of intense negotiations. If they failed they advised pursuing more aggressive tactics which included blockading Iran’s gas imports.

          Then if that failed they recognized that whomever was the new President would have to engage in a military strike as a last resort. If you did not agree with their strategy then I would have to question what side you are on.

          “Talk to Saeb Erekat”

          That’s your credible source? Arafat’s person? Now I really have to question whose side you are on.

          “Obama isn’t caving to Iran”

          You are right. To cave in means you initially stood some ground. Obama has been on his knees to Iran’s mullahs since before he came into office.

          “Ross has little credibility with the international community and his presence rather undermines the idea the US is pursuing good faith talks with Iran.”

          Ross has a tremendous reputation in international affairs – unless of course you are a despot in the Middle East. As far as “good faith” Iran has not shown a shred of good faith in any of its international dealings regarding its nuclear weapons development and the U.S. had been far too nice to them under Bush and now even nicer under Obama.

          “I can tell you Russia and China will not be aboard making a UN resolution impossible to pass.”

          No kidding! Well there’s a big surprise.

          And what does Ross have to do with Bush?

          • Wisewoman

            As an AA woman and non supporter of Obama I have to take issue with this post and many of the comments. Here we go again. The average person who depends on getting accurate, unbiased info will again have innuendoes and scare tactics to process. I am not an apologist for Iran or any other Middle East country. Yet look at Iran, put yourseves in their shoes, then ask yourselves the following questions.
            1. Since we have never (since ancient times) attacked any country, why are the political, economic and military pressures on us?
            2. An enemy country (USA) is right on our border constantly threating us therefore what are we to do? In addition the enemy funded, supported and supplied our arch enemy Iraq led by Sadam Hussien to atack us. Millions were killed and displaced in this war. With that recent history how can we and should we defend ourselves?
            3. Of all the countries in the middle east we have elections and tolerate some protests under our democracy. Can you name one other major middle east country that has that record? (the real answer is no but we are friends and buddy buddy with Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, Quatar, UAE and others because they do our bidding)
            4. The IAEA rules permit us to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. The countries who have this technology are obligated to help us to do this. Have they fulfilled their obligations? Are their citizens even aware of the fact that this obligation exists?
            5. Why are we singled out as being “haters of Jews” when our country took in many thousands of Jews when other countries initially refused to do so including the US?
            People we need to be aware that this is the same pattern that led up to the Iraq war. Powerful people with an agenda control the information and seem to want this country to engage in another costly military adventure where innocents are killed with impunity. We allow ourselves to be brain-washed and lead like sheep along that path. When will we ever learn to stop jumping on countries that have not done anything to us?

            • hokma

              Very valid questions if you are from Iran.

              “1. Since we have never (since ancient times) attacked any country, why are the political, economic and military pressures on us?”

              While Iran has not directly attacked any country, their Iran trained and subsidized agents have in the form of Hezbollah and Hamas. The mission of Iran under this theocracy has not simply been to create a state for Iranians but to expand that theocracy to the rest of the Islamic Middle East and beyond. While they were engaged in a long and bloody war with Iraq, it was a war they did not initiate. However, it has been their intent since their takeover to spread their influence and rule across the balance of the region – not by attacking other countries but from within each country.

              They are the number one country in the propagation of extreme Islam and of terrorism.

              “2. An enemy country (USA) is right on our border constantly threating us therefore what are we to do? In addition the enemy funded, supported and supplied our arch enemy Iraq led by Sadam Hussien to atack us. Millions were killed and displaced in this war. With that recent history how can we and should we defend ourselves?”

              Iran is developing nuclear weapons. They have interfered in the affairs of other countries through their surrogate armies. Their words are a matter of record regarding our ally in the Middle East Israel and their long terms goals in region domination.

              “3. Of all the countries in the middle east we have elections and tolerate some protests under our democracy. Can you name one other major middle east country that has that record? (the real answer is no but we are friends and buddy buddy with Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, Quatar, UAE and others because they do our bidding)”

              You call the miraculous counting millions of ballots in a matter of hours an election? You call this toleration of protests? You are partially right. There are no Middle East countries, other than Israel and now Iraq that have free elections and tolerate free speech.

              “4. The IAEA rules permit us to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. The countries who have this technology are obligated to help us to do this. Have they fulfilled their obligations? Are their citizens even aware of the fact that this obligation exists?”

              Prove it. Prove that Iran is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purpose. The truth is that they have only one intent and that is to have nuclear weapons to use. Frankly if there really was a real election in Iran the mullahs would be voted out because these people do not want another war and certainly not over nuclear weapons. The mistake you are making is believing that Ahmadinejad represents most Iranians and that is a mistake.

              “5. Why are we singled out as being “haters of Jews” when our country took in many thousands of Jews when other countries initially refused to do so including the US?”

              That was a l-o-n-g time ago and most were forced to leave after Khoemini takeover. As far as hating Jews just read Ahmadinejad’s statements concerning Israel and the Holocaust and then stifle.

      • http://jack-mifflin.blogspot.com J.M

        “1. He is Jewish and, in case you have not noticed, Iran hates Jews.”

        I think you’ve made the popular mistake of equating opposition to Israel with opposition to Jews. If Iranians hated Jews as much as you suggest they do they wouldn’t have the largest Jewish population of any Muslim state, mainly because they would have killed them by now.

        This might interest you: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23cohen.html

        • hokma

          “they wouldn’t have the largest Jewish population of any Muslim state”

          20,000 Jews is not a significant population. Just prior to Khomeini taking over the country there were about 80,000 Jews and most left with whatever they could. The ones remaining could either not get out in time or did not have the financial ability to. This is a country that systematically issues anti-Semitic propaganda internally and have either shut down or taken over all Jewish schools. Even though there are still a few Jewish synagogues left there have been no rabbis for 15 years. About a dozen Jews were executed for religious reasons since Khomeini took over. So please don’t give some bullshit about Iran’s love of Jews – particularly after their hatchetman Ahmadinejad goes on a world speaking tour denying the holocaust ever existed.

          And regarding Roger Cohen of the New York Times I can tell you without question he does not remotely represent the Jewish people in this country or any other.

          • Patrick Walker

            Like other Iranians, most have left because of what I think is economic persecution.

            It was easier for Jews to leave because Israel would take them in, no questions asked (name another country that grands automatic citizenship based on religon?). How many countries would allow Iranians in such a fashion?

            • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

              Doubtless it’s both, Patrick – Jewish people have left every Middle Eastern country in huge numbers during the last half century because of the combination of (relative) ease of immigration to Israel and the hostility they faced within those countries.

            • hokma

              They left for the same reasons Jews were forced to leave other Arab countries like Libya when Khaddafi took over – save their lives.

              Many more Iranians came to this country when the Shah was deposed for the same reason – to save their lives.

              Other than displaying your evident bias, what is your point.

            • http://jack-mifflin.blogspot.com J.M.

              Israel doesn’t grant citizenship based on religous identity. It is ethnic Judaism that counts. This goes back to the fact that, generally, Israel was founded for political reasons, not religious motives.

          • http://jack-mifflin.blogspot.com J.M.

            “systematically issues anti-Semitic propaganda internally ”

            Not to nitpick, but this term “anti-Semitic” implies disdain for Arabs as well. Arabs are Semitic people who speak a Semitic language, and a large number of Farsi words are Arabic cognates.

            It is true, and unfortunate, that the Jewish population in Iran is decreasing, but this doesn’t change the fact that it remains the highest in the region. Still, it might be worthwhile to understand when and why this is happening. If you look regionally, Jewish populations existed throughout the M.E. until around 1948/1949. It was around then that they began to migrate to Israel. I’m still not sold on the claim that Iranians hate Jews. It may be fairer to say that they hate Israel.

            • hokma

              Okay anti-Jewish.

              Jews were the dominant population in the Middle East thousands of years before the Muslim religion was founded. So you would have to go back to Roman Empire times when a Jewish state first ended in 70 AD and Jews were first driven from their homeland.

              During the Middle Ages Jews dispersed to parts of norther Africa, Europe, and other parts of the Middle East.

              The reason Jewish population rapidly declined after World War II and in the 1950′s was not just the creation of Israel but the end of colonialism and the beginning of Muslim rule in the Middle East. I knew someone whose family was forced to leave Libya when Khaddafi rose to power and without most of their possessions. They had no intention on migrating to Israel. So they came to the U.S.

              The average Iranian does not hate Jews. The ruling Mullahs and their supporter detest Jews and that has nothing to do with Israel. It has to do with Jews in their own country.

        • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

          JM,

          Don’t be taken in by the oft-repeated mantra that Iran has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East (outside of Israel, obviously).

          There are between 10,000-30,000 Jewish people in Iran.

          Iran’s population is 71 million.

          So Jewish people make up a staggering 0.4% of Iran’s populace.

          Doesn’t quite have the same impact as saying that Iran “has the largest Jewish population in the Middle East”, does it?

          Plus, if you were Jewish and lived in Iran, would you not feel obliged to say the type of things stated in Cohen’s piece?

          • Rob G in Chicago

            That’s 10,000 to 30,000 “human shields” to place around their nuclear facilities in case of an attack.

  • Texas Playwright

    Let’s see–Mr. Ross is qualified to do his job. So the unqualified fraud fires him at the behest of the unqualified fraud’s foreign daddy figures who hate women, America and democracy.

    Dontcha wonder when all these fired qualified people will gather together and do the right thing by We the People and remove the unqualified fraud? Like, today? Yesterday would be even better.

    • http://noquarter foxyladi14

      iv.e been saying that right along..yesterday….

  • J

    Ross was/is ‘unqualified’ to hold any U.S. ‘official’ position dealing with Iran, as Ross is Likud first and foremost. Which would be fine if Ross were living in Israel as an Israeli government official. However Ross having Likud leanings in a U.S. ‘official’ government capacity is detrimental to U.S. policy in the Middle East because Ross has a conflict of interest — which master does Ross serve, Israel or the U.S.? One can have one, but NOT both. And Likud being Likud, Likud and those who lean with Likud put Israel first, which in a U.S. governmental position like Ross with his Iran portfolio, makes a bad situation worse for our U.S..

    Iran is NOT a threat to our U.S., and if Iran is a threat to Israel, well then, that’s Israel’s problem not our U.S. one.

    • Patrick Walker

      That’s true, but it cannot explain away why everyone know Ross’ positions for over a decade, yet Obama moved him into such an important foreign policy role.

      Obama had to have know, or SHOULD have known about Ross before appointing him. Ross is like Richard Perle, but more cunning.

  • Peggy Sue

    Thanks for the followup on this story, Track. It’s an important development and frankly, I was stunned by this decision. A bad, bad move. I understand that Ross’s book was the nail in the coffin. Add the Jewish element and he was toast.

    Gives us an idea about how this Administration feels about “free speech and expression.” But hey, he said early on that he would side with the Muslim world in a fallout.

    Obama seems to be stretching for “Appeasement in Chief.” Doesn’t bode well on the future.

  • JozefAL

    Excuse me, but I seem to recall that Bill Clinton had planned to nominate James Hormel as US ambassador to Fiji but, due to Hormel’s being openly gay and Fiji’s still having laws against homosexual activity, didn’t put forth the nomination.
    A few years later, Jesse Helms (and a few other conservative senators) tried to block Hormel’s nomination as ambassador to Luxembourg, solely because Hormel was gay, with the conservatives claiming that Hormel’s homosexuality would not be accepted by Luxembourg’s officials and that Hormel was anti-Catholic (Luxembourg is a largely Roman Catholic country). Of course, this tactic was rendered moot when REAL officials from Luxembourg indicated that Hormel would be welcome.
    The reality is that any envoy is selected by the President to serve at the President’s discretion, and, as you so blithely point out, this IS a very dangerous time in Iran, so why the fuck should Obama want to make matters worse by sending an envoy that the Iranians don’t want? It seems to me that sending someone who has OPENLY and PUBLICLY written in support of using force against Iran is a bit like the very type of action that Dubya would’ve taken (and only an insane person would suggest that following a Bush tactic makes sense).

    • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

      JozefAL,

      Do you think there is any US envoy that Iran would want?

      There is not – hence 30 years of diplomatic silence – so capitulating to Iran in a small but significant way like this does nothing but embolden an already confident opponent.

      • Patrick Walker

        Iran tried back in 2003 through the Swiss. The Guardian Council let Khatami try and open relations yet Bush totally blew them off.

        Iran isn’t the only problem in this two-way dance. The US hasn’t been above criticism at all.

        Reformists got crucified in the next Iranian election.

  • J

    JozefAL,

    Hear, hear! Put U.S. interests — FIRST, and all others proceed to the outhouse.

    Ross was/is a bad hair day for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

    If Ross wants to be an ‘Israel firster’ then let him move to Israel, we need somebody who is a ‘U.S. firster’ dictating and delving out U.S. policy in the Mideast.

    Iran is NOT a threat to our U.S..

  • american jew

    There are Jews in the Iranian Government… this is not the reason.

    • hokma

      The only positions whatever Jews are left in Iran have in government ministries are at relatively low levels. There are no Jews in significant government positions.

      • Patrick Walker

        I believe it was you who said they only represent a mere 0.4% of the Iranian population. Did you expect Cabinet representation?

        • hokma

          My point was to counter any misperception that the government posts were significant.
          Other than showing an overt bias, what is your point?

  • http://trackacrat.com/ Track-A-’Crat

    That was me about the 0.4%, Patrick.

    So I take it that 12% of the population is the threshold for high office, then?

  • Ellen D

    How many women are in their government?

    • http://noquarter foxyladi14

      good question..