Death To America!

"Fighting the global arrogance and hostile policies of America is the symbol of our national solidarity."
"It's not death to American people, but it's against a portion of Americans who support oppressive policies in the world. If we say 'death to America', it is death to megalomania. 'Death to America' means death to think-tanks that work for the destruction of nations."
Saeed Jalili, Tehran

Ibrahim Noroozi / The Associated Press -- Iranian protesters burn an American flag during an anti-American rally in Tehran on Monday. An estimated 50,000 demonstrators packed the streets utside the former U.S. Embassy in the biggest anti-American rally in years.

That certainly goes a looong way to clearing up any misunderstanding about how the United States continues to be viewed in Iranian popular opinion, at least among those who continue their support of the Iranian Revolution with its penchant for repressing and oppressing political dissent, minority rights, gender-identification confusions, religious minorities, female empowerment, and any number of other irresponsible social irritants.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, needless to say, would never dream of oppressing, let alone threatening any other nation. Islam forbids it. Nor would it ever consider engaging in espionage, in provoking fear and revulsion among its neighbours as a result of its subtle threats to their longevity and security. As for training, supporting and calling upon the jihadist expertise of a non-state militia which they created as the Party of God, why what could be amiss in that direction?

The general Iranian loathing of the United States and American policies regarding its errant interference in matters Middle East, entirely justified its circumvention of the Vienna Convention. The Embassy of the United States of America in Tehran, after all, made a puppet of the Shaw of Iran, an oppressor of his people, bringing them unneeded education and health reforms as well as the liberation of women from the yoke of traditional misogyny, the cur. The 444-day siege holding 52 accused American diplomats hostage was just and liberating.

From the language spoken with the fond expression of Death to America! one might suspect with good reason that Mr. Jalili, a staunch insider with the confidence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was soundly tutored by George Orwell in doublespeak. This, bear in mind, is the man who was selected by the regime to speak on their behalf in the vital matter of nuclear technology; he is their top nuclear negotiator, where before he was merely a losing candidate for the presidency.

Iran's new president, Hassan Rowhani, the moderate who is a long-time revolutionary insider with the regime, and a former nuclear negotiator himself, who proved his stripes when he successfully soothed the anxiety of IAEA negotiators asking for time and understanding, then exulted in the success permitting the regime to proceed unmolested with its nuclear program, has undertaken a new slant in Iran-IAEA-UN-US relations. Cordial relations.

An appearance of willingness to negotiate reasonably. With pre-conditions of course. Where would the world be without pre-conditions on every issue imaginable when dealing with the Islamic countries of the Middle East? The pre-conditions appear by their very resolute defiance to negate any positive outcomes in negotiations since they insist on Iran's 'right' to nuclear 'energy', and to enrich uranium. Seemingly geared to vitiate proceedings, but no matter, no one appears to notice.

Mr. Jalili, the failed presidential candidate and now voice of reason on nuclear negotiations doesn't appear to find merit in President Rowhani's governing and 'appeasement of America' style, despite that Ayatollah Khamenei, expressing his own doubts, appears to want to give his new president enough rope to hang himself, and despite that Mr. Jalili has the confidence of the Supreme Leader. There is nothing quite straightforward about the Iranian agenda.

Other than to remove the current impediments to the Republic's drive to achieve its long-range goals of nuclear warheads assembly and longer-range ballistic missile perfection. Which would be made far more feasible if their finances and therefore the security of their position were more tenable with the removal of those noxious sanctions. To that end, the current experiment in determining whether the West is still susceptible to being gulled has been joined.

And despite the urgency of that trial, it is informing to see that the Republican Guard which directs Khamenei about as much as he does them, implacably refuses to surrender a main tenet token of the Revolution: "Death to America!"  Just as implacably, it seems, President Barack Obama is determined to make nice with the Islamic Republic of Iran. To what end remains unclear.

So, it is Death to America! and while they're at it, the junior Satan as well.

AFP Photo -- Burning American and Israeli flags; Iranian celebratory pastime