Iran - Ambassador Rice tells it like it is

Amidst all the doom and gloom on the economic front, there was some refreshing news today. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice (left) addressed the Security Council in some pretty undiplomatic language for the vapid organization on the East River.

Her remarks included statements such as, "The United States will seek an end to Iran's ambition to acquire an illicit nuclear capacity and its support for terrorism."

I do not hold out much hope on either of these issues. Iran is intent on acquiring nuclear weapons and it has been the leading state sponsor of terrorism for over 25 years. There is no reason to believe that any of the Obama administration's efforts will be any more effective than the Bush administration's.

Almost every nation that has sought nuclear weapons now has them - Iran is no different. What is refreshing is to have an American diplomat stand up in front of an international forum and directly call out the Iranians.

Good for you, Ambassador Rice (and President Obama). I have been critical of American diplomacy toward Iran for some time now, regardless of who has been in power. It is about time to have a senior U.S. diplomat - the ambassador to the United Nations certainly qualifies - stand up and tell it like it is: "We believe you are developing nuclear weapons and are supporting terrorism." Not exactly "diplo-speak" - bravo!

The Iranian response was as predictable and ridiculous as its claims have been over the past few years. Iranian UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee claimed that Rice's remarks were "the same tired, unwarranted and groundless allegations that used to be unjustifiably and futilely repeated by the previous administration. Iran has never and will never try to acquire nuclear weapons and the claims that Iran supports terrorism are baseless and absurd."

Khazaee continued, "Instead of raising allegations against others, the United States had better take concrete and meaningful steps in correcting its past wrong policies and practices vis-a-vis other nations, including the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Here's a news flash for Khazaee:

No one believes you. Your "nuclear energy program for civilian purposes" is too massive and too protected to be anything but a weapons program. You waste more energy from the flares on your oil wells than all of your nuclear facilities combined could ever produce. Hizballah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad would cease to exist without your support - the entire world watches you resupply them via Iranian air force cargo flights to Damascus airport.

Oh, and thanks for the warnings about what we had better do. We will take that under advisement since the Islamic Republic of Iran is the expert on policies and practices toward other nations.

We've all known what Iran is about for some time now. It is good that an American administration finally tells it like it is. Of course, it may make direct negotiations with the Iranians a bit more difficult.