“The reorientation of the IRGC mission to face internal threats is a tacit admission of political weakness. Contrary to the narrative that Iran has been strengthened by the events of recent years, it is strongly suggestive that the opposite is true. And now that the internal threat has actually materialized, the Obama administration should ask itself whether it is wise public policy to throw a regime racked by internal dissention and possibly collapsing upon itself the lifeline of “engagement”; whether it is opportune to give it international legitimacy and remove the sanctions at a time when it is beating itself up. In others words, the administration must ask whether it makes any sense to ring the bell just as Teheran is on the ropes. Following the lead of Kim Jong Il can be described as an act of dialogue without precondition, or it may simply be stupidity without precedent.”

For the media to admit that iran has been weakened by the events of recent years would require an presumtion that a weakened Iran is good for the US, as well as requiring ascribing some level of virtue to Bush. That is not something that the media will readily allow. Look for Iran to receive tacit if not overt moral support from the bush-haters in time. that or the weakness and instability will be cast and a bug not a feature.

The alternative for them would mean eating an awful lot of crow… not gonna happen unless something figuratively grabs them in an arm lock, takes them by the hair of the head, points their face to the evidence and then prys their eyelids open.

A semi-plausible if optimistic scenario involves Obama “getting it” and then turning the lefty media types recomendation to “wait to engage” into an indefinite “delay” thus allowing the internal disention to gain some traction.

I’m not gonna hold my breath on this though.

And if all we are seeing is in fact one set of thugs trying to dislodge another from the seat of power then it may not make much difference anyway.

Oh the world we live in!