OK, that Iran water boundary thing.

[matgb]

Y'know how sometimes a story is both very depressing and something that will only make you angry so you avoid following it? I haven't been folowing the Iran/Sailors thing, because, well, all sides are stretching the truth past breaking point and it'll just depress me. A few aspects were bothering me though. fridgemagnet (who may be a little to my left) links to two articles by craigmurray (who really doesn't like the current Govt but does have some knowledge of the legality). Summary:

1. There is no legally recognised maritime boundary between Iran and Iraq
2. Iran does not recognise the boundary that Blair is claiming
3. The Allies know this

So, both sides are sabre rattling, both sides are obfuscating and telling porkies, both sides are playing to their domestic galleries and world opinion rather than actually being honest.

My understanding is that the event happened very close to the border Britain claims, but that that border still puts them closer to Iran than Iraq, or, as Craig puts it:

Go on, print out the map and measure it.

Everyone has an axe to grind. No one is in the right. Don't believe the hype.

I now go back to trying to ignore this story. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Comments

[davidnm.livejournal.com]

On Tuesday, I didn't buy a newspaper or look at bbc.co.uk (as I wasn't at work), so I went an entire day without hearing the word 'Iraq', or the words 'George Bush'. It improved my day considerably; unfortunately, being a concerned citizen at the moment isn't particularly pleasant!

I get the feeling that the main problem at the moment with Iran is that our government has been rattling sabers at them for so long (or at least standing back quietly and deferentially while the Bush does) that we've exhausted any influence we might have had with any section of the Iranian government. As a result we just don't have any levers left to prod them with, so they have a clear playing field if they feel like causing trouble.

[matgb]

I tend to have Radio 4 on all the time, plus a huge number of politics types on my friends list, so despite no TV and not buying newspapers, still picking up lots of dullness.

But yeah, Iran is holding all the cards that I can see. Crazy, it's not like anyone could get away with launching an attack, and this isn't going to stoke enough reaction to provoke support for an invasion there. Gah!