Iran's Shrewd Tactic Against France

Whatever one may say about the Iranian regime, you have to admire their shrewd diplomacy, language and use of irony.

The Iranian regime recently demonstrated quite amusing audacity. Needless to say, the Islamic Republic came under strong criticism by many in the international community for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations that broke out after what many believe was a fraudulent election stolen by the ruling president.

One of those nations was France. But France was been sounding a critical tone toward Iran even before the crackdown. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has declared an Iranian nuclear bomb or presumably capability to be acceptable and his foreign minister has stated the options are either "bomb Iran or Iranian bomb" while stating the the former is better in an effort to prevent the latter. Not even the United States had publicly stated that it would bomb Iran in order to prevent it from actually obtaining nukes. But then France's words are hollow since the French would never bomb Iran under any circumstance, while the United States cannot make such a statement without international exceptions that it would carry it out.

Nonetheless, because of France's confrontation approach; Iran has decided to be, well, a smart ass.

Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned France's ambassador to Tehran to condemn "widespread oppression" of people protesting against President Nicolas Sarkozy, official media reported on Thursday. . . .

The IRNA news agency said the Foreign Ministry conveyed to France's envoy, Bernard Poletti, its objections to what it said were beatings and arrests of a "considerable number" of demonstrators on the eve of France's July 14 national holiday.

France's poor suburbs are regularly hit by youth violence before July 14 and police said they arrested 240 protesters on the eve of this year's festivities, twice as many as in 2008. A dozen policemen were hurt, a police spokesman said in Paris.

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[France's oppression.]

Locals said police fired tear gas and beat the crowd with batons during the demonstration. Police said they were attacked by youths and were trying to restore order.

"The widespread oppression of protesters against Sarkozy's policies has created an unacceptable human rights situation... and the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns that," a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official told the French ambassador.

"French officials better hear the objecting voice of their own people rather than interfere in other countries' affairs," the official said, according to IRNA.

Of course, France's police action cannot be compared to Iran's. But the Iranians do have a point. And I can't get over how funny this whole scene is. The Iranians really are quite a clever bunch of S.O.B.s. "Widespread oppression" . . . "unacceptable human rights situation;" the Iranians know how to throw the language back at their detractors.

Iran's self-righteous language really puts France in its rightful place. I would have like to see the French ambassador's face when he was lectured. Priceless.