Another thing that i think suggests Iran is unlikely to act in an extremist manner in this nuclear crisis is its decision to agree to have its nuclear enrichment for peaceful purposes carried out in Russia. Despite his fanaticist rhetoric, Ahmedinejad, like the rest of the Irani authorities, most probably realizes that for all its leverage, Iran can also be negatively affected by a nuclear crisis. It needs to export after all.

What's going in in Iran and the rest of the Middle East has ramifications all over the world, so it's good that you're bringing up the topic. The more we discuss this, and the more us Europeans, and Americans, know about Iranian (and Middle East) culture and mindset, the more likely we are to solve problems peacefully. I realize this might sound a bit fluffy, but what other option do we have besides diplomacy?

Good piece, Gjermund.

Is the Asia Times on-line the only source for this big decrease in Iranian gas supplies to Turkey? Such a strategic move by Iran must have received coverage elsewhere. Did the stoppage continue beyod last Friday? I'd be interested in consulting other sources. Thanks. Interesting diary, for sure.

This whole Iranian issue always catches my attention, partly because I come from the region that can be potentially affected by any kind of Iran-third country military conflict. Although I am currently an undergrad at the American University in Bulgaria, my origins lie in the great vastness of Northern Kazakhstan... [Please, forgive me this short instance of emotional weakness.]

The issue's prominence in my worldnews lookout is also explained by the fact that it's been only a couple of months since I finished reading a book on Central Asian geo-politics, which I am happy to recommend to those interested. It was Lutz Kleveman's "The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia" (Grove Press, 2004). [The link is not meant to be a promotion of the site, just have a look at the reviews of the book.]

The highlight of the read for me was the chapter, in which the author claimed that the inclusion of Iran in the Bush administration's axis-of-evil list of rouge states was, in fact, a signal sent to the Central Asian capitals (esp. Astana). It meant that any association with Iran would lead to complications in these countries' political as well as economic relations with the US. Oil was at the core of this diplomatic maneuver, of course. [For more details, address the book.]

Last week, however, I got an alternative explanation for the US crackdown on Iran over its alleged nuclear aspirations, which takes the argument to the realm of economics or, rather, international political economy. You can find 2 articles here that lay it out in detail.

[While one of the sources may seem of doubtful quality - and I apologize for that - the other one, written by an Economics professor at my university, parallels the line of argument. So there should be some legitimacy to the political events taking place in the Middle East.]

I would love to hear what y'all think about this.

this will force them to come further into the light of day, as the public wakes up from its fossil-fool dream, and the million tiny scrapes of diligent reporters worldwide will expose the centre of this global tumour for all to see.

it is a race between information and fascism.

only an informed public will go into the streets in sufficient numbers to possibly sway their closeted leaders, as they hear the baying outside their windows, and see the world media covering millions of people refusing to go along with this next phase of neocon powerplay.

the kernel is the self-granted 'divine right' to control the planet's resources in order to support the prolongation of an unsustainably polluting 'way of life' that is not coherently justifiable on any rational level, once it is explained to any person with any smidgeon of fairness in their soul.

anf there's the rub: it still has to be explained, and the media is in no hurry at all to do its job in making the grievous urgency of our beholden-ness to antiquated energy systems (and the corruption and war that cluster around them) understandable to the public, relatively uneducated while young as to geopolitical realities, until they are themselves trapped in the system, or are past having the energy to do anything about it!

instead of the horse leading the cart, it is the public disaffection with gas shortages and pump prices that provokes an at-best leisurely response from the media, so little, so late.

people have internalised the wall to the extent that they cannot see the writing on it, in the stubborn, naive faith that our leaders have some subtle iron to pull out of the fire at the last minute.

i think i speak for a growing body of people who are feeling that rug under our feet getting tugged on seven ways to sunday.

it is logically threadbare.

and there's a long way down, if we don't weave something real (yesterday!!) to support even a tenth off the consumption patterns we have been gulled like infants into believing are ours by birthright and cash-in-hand.

knowledge surely is power, and there is much also to unlearn!

"These days, there's nothing more ridiculous than the truth." Leonard Pitts Jr