Hanging Tough and Holding the Line, Euro Style

They say that they’re all against beating demonstrators, of course.

Top diplomats from all but two EU embassies in Iran attended the inauguration of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Wednesday (5 August). The Swedish EU presidency, the UK, France, Spain, Finland, Greece and the Czech republic were present at ambassador level, the Swedish foreign ministry told EUobserver.

Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia sent charges d'affaires - acting heads of mission when the ambassador is away.

You can hear their balls clanking, can’t you?

The British foreign office in a statement described its decision to attend as "hard-headed diplomacy."

"We have not sent a message of congratulations to president Ahmadinejad. But ...communication channels have to be kept open," it also said.

That’s exactly how Iran bought the time it took to mine the Straits of Hormuz some time back, build longer range missiles, and construct centrifuges.

Only Germany and Austria stood out by sending lower rank representatives.

Nothing that the Europeans have done so far has induced meaningful conversation of any sort since 2003. Nonetheless, they pursuit the only course of action impirically proven NOT to work because it requires no meaningful action on their part, no matter how much it increases their future risk. It’s what makes lefties sound so totally brilliant when they say that “you need to talk to your enemies and not your friends.”