Canada should immediately restore diplomatic relations with Iran.
I believe that none of Foreign Minister John Baird’s remarks in this affair are honest, fair, reasonable, right or uttered in good faith.
Witness that when nations that promote policies our government dislikes get street demonstrations, protest and riots, even outright armed insurrection, these are depicted as justified and a clear sign that regime change there is required.
Here, such disturbances are called aberrant or due to anti-social provocations — lately, even terrorism. When police abuse citizens’ rights there are protracted inquiries, an exoneration of the police, then business as usual.
When Pakistan lets security slip in their nuclear weapons technology or in the case of the U.S. retain a “first use” option for such weapons they retain Canada’s good will.
When Iranian laboratories lately acquire only the capacity to supply that country’s nuclear medicine needs, refused them by our sanctions, then they are depicted as an imminent threat to the world.
In 1979, Iranians stood up against the Shah’s authoritarian regime imposed when the U.S. and Britain staged a coup that overthrew the democratically elected President Mossadegh in 1953. Dr. Mossadegh remains a figure of tremendous stature in the history of modern Iran. He strongly opposed British and, later, American influence in Iran.
Since 1979, the U.S. has been ever ready to issue payback over that indecorous ‘heave-ho’. Soon afterwards, the U.S. backed Saddam Hussein in a long, costly and bloody war with Iran.
Today, the youthful Iranian population is straining under severe U.S.-led economic sanctions on account of its nuclear program.
Of course, Iran’s chief sin is that it strives to be a leading regional power, which is unrepentantly opposed to U.S. imperialist mastery in the Middle East.
The narrow Straight of Hermuz between United Arab Emirates and Iran is a critical choke point for Middle East oil. No surprise that Canada joins the clamour for war with Iran and again shows itself little more than a shill to its masters in Washington.
This Canada Iran affair is a disgraceful setback to the cause of peace.
Dave Cursons
Cawston