Iran: Genie of the Bottle

A blast from a suicide bomber in southeastern Iran last weekend ripped through a soccer stadium killing over 40 soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including two high ranking generals. RawStory reports top troop deputy General Nur-Ali Shushtari and General Mohammad-Zadeh of the local province were killed in the attack. It is the first known suicide bombing of its kind in Iran's history.

And while the Islamic Sunni terrorist group Jundallah, prominent around the Iranian-Afghan border, claimed credit for the attack, Iranian authorities confidently accuse the death strike as the results of a British and American covert operation. Interestingly enough, the attack contains all the hallmarks of a well-scoped highly organized and infiltrating scheme.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials met in Geneva yesterday with Western politicians in talks surrounding enrichment of uranium, which Iran maintains is a national right. Western offers included an unattractive Western-tied aid package for cheap uranium to be sent from the West to Iran, but what Iranians argue will compromise their national sovereignty. At the behest of war-baiting repetitive threats by the United States and others, Iran is in a tight situation yet ironically empowered by the same idiosyncrasies which threaten to destroy them.

In early 2008, President Ahmadenijad announced the "end of the American Empire" after it became clear America's economic superiority was slipping away. And not to forget, after a devastating seven successive years of international wars and the continuation of decades of post-WWII occupation in Europe, Asia and around the globe.

Now it appears Iran is poised to bank on Ahmadenijad's prediction and may not want to sign away precious energy rights in perpetuity to settle what they view as a non-issue. To them, talk of secret weapons programs are only the grim specter of death of a war-hawking West. Iran will do everything to assert its peaceful right to efficient energy.

Yet, there remains no doubt the recent surprise attack does not help move Iran to an imposed settlement that would be clearly on the West's terms.

Iran will remain independent and despite a recently passed investment boycott, essentially an all-out embargo on Iran by the United States, Iran is ever emboldened to assert its place as a respected equal among nations. And with the Western propaganda for war on the wane, Iran may well receive qualified support from the West bloc's more peaceful and sensible nations.

Covert operations are known to go back in Iran as far back as 2005 in recent times and in the larger scheme, back to the early 1950's. Yet this high profile assassination only underscores the range and intensity of the underground war. In intimidation of Iran, these chilling attacks and direct interferences in internal affairs have tempered leadership and prepared them for more hard-nosed bouts ahead.

Even as tensions grow, a sweet calm approaches and hope remains for a true peace. A lasting peace will continue to be elusive and perhaps even impossible given the current bully-style intimidation exuded by ever self-asserting nations. Still yet, a temporary pause may expose obvious contradictions and bold lies to bring in a more egalitarian era of true international cooperation and peace.