USA makes a fool of itself with 4th of July invites to Iranian diplomats

The Obama administration went out of its way to send 4th of July celebration invitations to Iranian diplomats, thereby legitimizing and supporting a repressive, genocidal regime that gathers crowds to scream "Death to America." 

 

The really embarrassing part of this fiasco is that the invitations were ignored - America was snubbed:

 

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Iranian diplomats had in any case not replied to invitations already sent out. Initially, the administration had said that the invitation still stood, but by Wednesday afternoon announced otherwise.

 

"As far as I know not a single Iranian accepted the invitation to 4 of July celebration? said State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said earlier Wednesday. "They are celebration of our basic values of independence and freedom, which are exactly what Iranians demand on the streets."
 

This is a real gem:

 

U.S. officials and analysts believe that the political turmoil in Iran surrounding its contested June 12 presidential election has dimmed immediate prospects for U.S. dialogue with Tehran, but say U.S. President Barack Obama's hopes for engagement have by no means been snuffed out.

 

Officials acknowledge that the Iranian authorities bloody crackdown on street protests sparked by the election have made it less likely that Tehran will wish to engage and harder for the Obama administration to do so.

"We'll get back to you about that dialog invitation when we're done murdering peace here. Peace and light."

 

A bit late, we read that Obama rescinds July 4 invites to Iranian diplomats.

 

In a contest for dumbest, most amoral diplomatic moves in history, those invitations may have an honored place next to receptions for Nazi diplomats and negotiations with the Japanese in 1941, though they don't hold a candle to Chamberlain at Munich.

 

 

Ami Isseroff

 

Cross posted: Israel News  Middle East Analysis