Iran 'disqualifies' EU from talks

BBC ^ | July 1, 2009

[don-o]

aj Gen Hassan Firouzabadi, Iran's chief of staff, accused the EU of "interference" in riots which followed June's disputed presidential elections.

EU states, meanwhile, are considering withdrawing their ambassadors from Iran in a growing diplomatic row.

Britain proposed the step after Iran detained nine of its embassy staff last week. Eight have since been released.

The BBC's European affairs correspondent Oana Lungescu says senior officials from EU capitals will discuss the request in Stockholm on Thursday.

But diplomats say that Germany and Italy - Iran's biggest trading partners in the EU - oppose it, arguing that channels of dialogue with Iran should be kept open.

'Nine offences'

In the wake of mass street protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's relection, meanwhile, Iran's Basij militia has called for the defeated opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi to be prosecuted.

The semi-official Fars news agency said the militia - a volunteer force of Islamic government loyalists - had accused Mr Mousavi of nine offences, including propaganda against the state, and complicity in disrupting national security.

[don-o]

No problem. Pretty soon Our Little President will get this all fixed.

[Cicero]

I’m thinking that since Obama won’t do squat, that just leaves the Euros to step into the gap. This must seem pretty strange to them.

Pretty soon we can all start chanting that they are Imperialist Warmongers.

[Question Liberal Authority]

If only the EU were ruled by a spineless do-nothing egomaniac like our country, none of this would have ever happened.

[STE=Q]

In the wake of mass street protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection, meanwhile, Iran's Basij militia has called for the defeated opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi to be prosecuted.

I'm sure Bam Bam is watchimg to see how effective Iran's version of Hitler's "brown shirts" -- the Islamic government loyalists of the Basij -- are in crushing legitimate protest.

Didn't Obama suggest such a citizen militia (government "friendly" of course) for the United States?

STE=Q

[cranked]

Many EU states are not going to do it, but if they could stand the domestic political heat, they would grow balls and cut off every bit of trade they have with Iran.