Thursday, November 30, 2006
Will Canadian diplomats be the next "guests" of the ayatollah?
The federal government has taken steps to ensure the safety of the Canadian embassy in Tehran after Iranian legislators called it a den of spies and demanded it be shutdown.
You always have to be worried when Iranians start complaining about your "den of spies." The Canadians therefore have good reason to be afraid, although one is forced to wonder what they have done to "ensure the safety of the Canadian embassy." The first step is to get past the Friday afternoon sermons.
Actually, I think the odds are fairly low that Ahmadinejad's government would nail the Canadians -- they have been on what passes for a charm offensive in recent months, so why mess it up with a nasty hostage crisis? Still, the radicals must hold a grudge from 1980, when the Canadians smuggled some Americans out of Tehran right under the beards of the mullahs. If they imagine that a new crisis with the West would serve their purposes, it would be an easy decision to attack Canada.
6 Comments:
By 
Purple Avenger, at
Fri Dec 01, 04:43:00 AM:
If they want the Canadians gone, the Canadians should sanitize whatever needs sanitizing in the embassy and just leave after giving any Canadians in Iran two weeks notice that they stay at their own risk.
By Georg Felis, at
Fri Dec 01, 07:35:00 PM:
It is a whole different world since the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Back then, a group forcing themselves into the Embassy was treated the way airline hijackings were handled, just talk to the invaders, let them state their demands, get press coverage, and they go home and everybody watches it on the nightly news. I think an Embassy invasion now would be treated with a bit more gunplay, even from the Canadians.
By the way, read “Guests of the Ayatollah” by Mark Bowden. Recommended.
By Dawnfire82, at
Fri Dec 01, 08:49:00 PM:
The seizure of the American embassy, though organized, was not carried out by a nation-state so much as an orderly mob.
Embassies maintain extra-territoriality; the Canadian embassy in Tehran is considered part of Canada. Canadian laws prevail, and armed intrusion by the agents of a foreign power would be invasion. If Iran wants to get rid of the Canadian embassy, all they have to do is break relations and expel the diplomats. It's their country, after all. Raiding it, however, is an act of war.
Not that I think Canada would do anything about it, but it would probably cause a big international fuss.
By 
, at
Fri Mar 16, 12:21:00 PM:
The history of perfume goes back to Egypt, although it was prevalent in East Asia as well. Early perfumes were based on incense, not chemicals, so aromas were passed around through fumes. The Roman and Islamic cultures further refined the harvesting and manufacturing of perfumery processes to include other aromatic ingredients.
Thus, the ancient Islamic culture marked the history of modern perfumery with the introduction of spices and herbs. Fragrances and other exotic substances, such as Jasmine and Citruses, were adapted to be harvested in climates outside of their indigenous Asia.
By , at
Sun Mar 18, 12:23:00 PM:
Ah….the sweet, smell of perfume! Today's market is flooded with hundreds and hundreds of different fragrances ranging
from floral to woodsy. Most women love the smell of perfume, wearing it even when going to the grocery store. The problem
is that perfume allergy for some women, is anything but nice.
By , at
Sun Mar 18, 04:06:00 PM:
Choosing the right perfume can be difficult and because it is also considered an intimate gift buying the wrong perfume
can backfire on you and get you the opposite result of that which you hoped for.
The first thing you need to do is do some homework, meaning research. Look at your lady's perfume bottles, the ones that
are nearly empty will be her favorites. If there is one there that is nearly full chances are she doesn't wear it often
or doesn't like it. Hint around and ask her what types of fragrances she likes and dislikes.
Humans are very sensory oriented and our sense of smell is no different. Certain perfumes can elicit strong reactions in
both the wearer and the person reacting to the scent. Perfumes are made not only to attract but to also relax someone. If
you aren't totally sure what kind of perfume to buy you can always play it safe and get something in the aromatherapy
line. If you go this route, bear in mind that vanilla scents are considered to relax and a peppermint or lemon scent will
be more stimulating.
