A NONSENSICAL ANALYSIS

Mark Katz, a professor of government and politics at George Mason University, has written an analysis for UPI, Policy Watch: Iran and Central Asia, under the category of .... cough...cough... International Intelligence. It is an analysis that only a Euphorian could write.

His opening paragraph: "Iran's new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appears to many in the West as an extremist. His statements calling for Israel to be wiped off the map and denying the Holocaust certainly indicate that he is one. Ahmadinejad's policy toward Central Asia, however, suggests that he may actually be more of a pragmatist than an extremist ." (Emphasis mine - H.H.)

It actually goes downhill from here. Let's lay the groundwork:

Pragmatist: Noun
1. A realist. A person who takes a practical approach to problems and is concerned primarily with the success or failure of her actions.

Okay, so Mr. Katz writes that Iran is concerned with the move towards democracy in Central Asia and offers Kyrgyzstan's "Tulip Revolution," as an example. And, he offers the "violent crackdown" of the Uzbek government on what he implied to be peaceful and unarmed dissenters as causing more concern for Iran.

Newly elected Iranian President Ahmadinejad gave an inaugural address at a conference on Central Asia and was quoted as saying "The Islamic Republic has a friendly view of Central Asian and Caucasus countries and strongly believes in peace and mutual coexistence."

Much like they have with Iraq, I presume.

Because of this and other rhetoric coming from Iranian officials, as well as Ahmadinejad, Professor Katz surmises that "it is clear that Ahmadinejad has no intention of attempting to foment Islamic revolution in Central Asia."

(At least not at the moment; for there are other more important "fomenting" projects that need to be addressed.)

Alllllll..... righty then. If that is what they said, it must be so; for we know, only Bush lies.

Since Central Asia leaders fear the United States' effort to promote democracy, according to Katz, "Ahmadinejad is clearly doing all he can to assure the dictators of Central Asia that, unlike America, he is not a threat to them." (Not right now anyway. Drats! There is so much fomenting to do and just not enough time.)

But unfortunately, they are probably buying it hook, line, and sinker.

Katz sums it up by stating "this shows is that Ahmadinejad is more of a pragmatist than he is usually given credit for. He can ally with secular, even anti-Islamic dictators (as the ex-communist rulers of Central Asia all are) when he sees it in his interest to do so."

So all this hollow rhetoric of not being a threat, obfuscates his statements calling for Israel to be wiped off the map and denying the Holocaust happened...... and that makes him pragmatic.

Yep, a truly Euphorian analysis from a professor on the (shock, shock) left.