Listen to their friends

Perspective is a funny thing. Changing your perspective can lead to interesting insights. One way of changing the perspective is to go over and read how propaganda agencies like the Iranian IRNA are reporting matters compared to how western media are reporting things. IRNA's reporting is obviously very far from unbiased, truthful, fair and objective, and every report they produce is in the blatant self-interest of the despotic theocrats in charge of that country. It is exactly this propagandistic slant that gives an insight into what's going on there and what they think is important. So it's particularly interesting to read a story from IRNA headlined "France, Iran stress UN role in post-Saddam Iraq:"

Iran and France on Thursday underscored the role of the United Nations in post-Saddam Iraq, with President Mohammad Khatami warning of many problems if Iraq's fate is not immediately left to its people to decide.

"I believe what happened in Iraq is not over yet and if the fate of this country immediately is not left to the Iraqi people (to decide), America, the region and the world will face many problems," he told French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin here.

"The United Nations must have a fundamental role in disarming Iraq and establishing a legitimate government there as well as reconstructing Iraq," de Villepin, who arrived here on a one-day visit early Thursday, said.

[...]

The president hailed France for leading the world's anti-war front and hoped that "France, given its position in the world, will make more efforts to promote peace, global coexistence and justice in the international scene".

He also praised Paris' stance on guaranteeing just peace and security in the occupied Palestinian lands. "An enduring peace in the Middle East will not be achieved without restoring the legitimate rights of all Palestinians," Khatami said.

It does not even surprise me to see de Villepin visiting the next doomed fascist dictator that he wants to be chummy with. And the theocratic thugs running Iran at the moment obviously are delighted to have French support for their regime. I'm sure de Villepin enjoyed being in the reality-distortion field of like-minded people. When Khatami praises the French efforts to "promote peace, global coexistence and justice," what he really means is that he's grateful that there's still someone stupid enough to stand up for dictators like him.

Note to the French: if you're in a hole, stop digging. Throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the war on Saddam's side, they are now apparently trying to repeat the same mistake again with Iran. Perhaps they're just trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records as the country supporting the greatest number of fascist states? The country choosing the losing side most often? I'm willing to donate any surplus shovels to the French government, though.

While this visit to Iran may not have made the front page in the western press, I have a suspicion that it did not go unnoticed in the White House.