Iran-When All Else Fails, Raid the Embassies

Would you invite these guys over for 4th of July?
"Where's the mustard?"


As the events in Iran continue to unfold, the barbaric government-still blaming the West for the unrest and now threatening to execute protesters (the ones who are not executed in the streets)- have resorted to the tactic in which the Islamic Republic was born; grabbing innocents out of the embassies. This time, eight Iranian employees of the British Embassy in Teheran have been arrested. The Brits and the EU are demanding their release-just as the US demanded the release of our diplomats thirty years ago. However, this regime cares little for the niceties of international diplomatic relations. They have traditionally used their own embassies as a center from which to foment terrorism around the world. The question begs as to why any civilized nation would want to have diplomatic relations with the crazed mullahs who run Iran.

But what is the status of local nationals who work in diplomatic missions? It is common practice for embassies around the globe to hire local nationals to help in their administrative tasks as well as other liaison duties. After all, they speak the language and know how to get things done in the country where the embassy is located.

When I worked overseas with DEA in Bangkok, Thailand and Milan, Italy, my office was naturally located in the embassy and consulate respectively. Both facilities were filled with local Thai and Italian nationals. DEA also utilized local investigative assistants who were valuable for liaison purposes. They had no diplomatic status nor were they able to access classified information. I don't know what duties the specific arrestees had in the British embassy, but it is highly doubtful that they were doing anything against the interests of their own nation (Iran). That, of course, matters little to the fanatics who are in charge of Iran. They have no respect for embassies whatsoever. There is no telling what fate may lie in store for those arrested. Will they be publicly hanged in a square from a construction crane? If any are women, will they be publicly stoned to death? Are they being tortured at this very moment?

In light of this latest event, it is hard to imagine why there is any serious discussion of the US restoring diplomatic relations with Iran. So the next time there is a dispute between our two countries, they can seize our diplomats again? It is the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you......". Any talk of restoring diplomatic ties with Iran should be reserved for the day when a respectable and civilized government returns to power. What would be nice would be to see the UK and the rest of the EU obtain the freedom of the embassy employees and then close down their embassies-and, of course, send the Iranian diplomats in their countries back home.

Yes, the same Iranian diplomats that were invited to our 4th of July celebrations.