Her Hideousness, Catherine Ashton, the Baroness of Upholland, who serves as the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, is managing negotiations with Iran on behalf of, inter alia, the US, regarding Tehran's nuclear development program. According to Reuters (http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/10/21/idINIndia-60055220111021):
"Major powers are willing to meet with Iran within weeks if it is prepared to 'engage seriously in meaningful discussions' and address concerns about its nuclear programme, the European Union's foreign policy chief told Tehran in a letter on Friday.
. . . .
EU foreign policy chief Ashton has been leading efforts on behalf of six countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Germany and non-Western powers China and Russia -- to negotiate with Tehran over its disputed atomic activities.
. . . .
She said the goal 'remains a comprehensive negotiated, long-term solution which restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature' of Iran's nuclear programme.
'In order to start such a process, our initial objective is to engage in a confidence-building exercise aimed at facilitating a constructive dialogue on the basis of reciprocity and a step-by-step approach,' the letter added."
With Iran plotting to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/11/justice/iran-saudi-plot/index.html), threatening to sink US carriers (http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/07/ap-iran-to-target-us-carriers-if-attacked-070911/), and warning of its intention to deploy warships off America's East Coast (see: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/10356471/iran-says-could-deploy-navy-near-u-s-coast-report/), Ashton, of all people, has been encharged by the US to deal with Ahmadinejad and friends?
In case you may have forgotten:
• Before assuming her EU position, Ashton was almost entirely lacking in foreign affairs experience.
• A former chairwoman of the Health Authority in Hertfordshire, she has never held elected office.
• Ashton has a BSc degree in sociology and has a life-sized Dalek (a fictional race of extraterrestrial mutants from the British science fiction television series "Doctor Who") in her sitting room.
• Ashton served as national treasurer in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which is suspected of having received funding from the Soviet Union.
• Ashton enjoyed a relationship with a hard-line communist tied to some of Britain’s most militant union leaders.
"A confidence-building exercise aimed at facilitating a constructive dialogue on the basis of reciprocity and a step-by-step approach"? Haven't we already gone down that route more than a dozen times over the past three years?
Sorry, but it's time to impeach Obama for callously jeopardizing US national security by entrusting Ashton with this task.
Spot on.
ReplyDeleteBut what do you have against Daleks?
Actually, come to think of it. Her speech may be slightly influenced by the tonalities of a Dalek.
Don't worry, when the Iranians see who sent the letter, they will mark it "Return to Sender" and pop it in the nearest post box.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere she wants out of the job, but no one else wants it - bit like Giethner.