Opinion
Charm is cheap
Noah Beck
Published: 29.09.13, 20:12
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30 Talkbacks for this article
1. a child & a puppy are easely made happy
tiki ,   belgium   (09.29.13)
So are the west & their leaders!
2. Snake Charmer
Cheryl ,   Chicago, IL   (09.29.13)
Rohani is a snake and a charmer.
3. the u.s-saudi evil connection
daniel ,   the world   (09.29.13)
the united states assist the saudis in a giant military buildup of airfields,ports and bases thoughout arabia,u.s and saudis train and arm troops to fight,u.s and saudis spend billion $ on the war,recruiting,supplying and training radical wherever they rule by imposing their medieval code on their happles subjects,making public spectacles of stoning to death and maiming,destroying,prohibiting, sequestering and promoting war,they have lavished funds terrorists in training while indoctrinating through its worldwide network of the organizations and the media and in forbidden truth:u.s-saudi arabia secret oil diplomacy,profits before patriotism.Will they ever be tried and convicted for war crimes?
4. No one's fooled by this ass
BUILD BABY BUILD !!! ,   United States   (09.29.13)
he speaks as a man and is an ass. His boss is the mad Mullah who doesn't care if all of the Iranian people starve to death.
5. CHARM IS CHEAP : A RAP
DA RAP ARTIST ,   SAFED RAP HOUSE   (09.29.13)
Yo ,they talk about charm ,I'll bet the family farm , Rohani is chancing his arm ,but where's the harm? ,just keep calm , 'cause promises he must keep ,yo talk is cheap , like a quantum leap ,you won't hear a peep ,I am apprehensive and somewhat pensive to this charm offensive.....
6. Good article but misses key point
StevieT ,   USA   (09.30.13)
Iran has been put under great pressure by the threat of attack on Syria, one of their crown jewels. A promise of rapprochement takes Assad and the fat one out of the headlines, giving all of them a little extra breathing room. Simple, but brilliant ploy.
7. Trust Iran ?
Gail Smolowitz ,   New York USA   (09.30.13)
Do you think we can suddenly trust Iran just because the idiot in the Oval Office likes them ? You can never trust Iran.
8. The losing Side
Mohsen Abasspour ,   Shiraz, Iran   (09.30.13)
Iran has archived the following : - Nuclear capabilities - Respect in the Moslem world , Russia, china , and most Europeans , and some Americans . - US needs our oil and gas , all this talk about shale oil is Turing like US mortgage paper , a marketing ploy . - the Americans know we have complete control over Iraq espeically it's oil policy and security . - Israel is increasingly isolated and Obama is helpful . So, we defeated you , Hizb Allah and Assad can take few hits , but not for too long . - If Israel attacks Iran , it lose in PR and will be degraded faster by attrion , and we support the Sunnis , so you exhaust each other . It is time for Israels to give up and leave the ME
9. Daneil#3
Fahd Alharby ,   Madina, KSA   (09.30.13)
I am. A Saudi and frankly very much bothered by your consistent negative rant on my country and our people .I like to draw your attention to few things as follows : - Saudi rabia doesnot do even 5 % of the things you seem to state . - Saudi Arabia is ultiamtelya developing country that is taking concrete gradual steps to develop , remember the Shah took draconian steeps to develo Iran , now witness what we have in Iran , they are trying to pull shame the Saudis to be more backward looking ( the ideological. Based is always. On the look for the more radical ) - If you are referring to the joint project in Afghanistan to kick USSR in the butt, it worked , but went haywired when US and S. Arabia dropped the ball .If you are back sliding liberal , then this doesnot register . - Saudi Arabia like any other countries in the region we have short comings no doubt , but to deny our forward development is wrong and unfair . -
10. Who's the rogue state?
graczek ,   Maryland, USA   (09.30.13)
Israel (so-called) is the real rogue state, the point source of Middle East geopolitical infection, and whose existence is illicit from the get-go.
11. Daneil#3
Fahd Alharby ,   Madina, KSA   (09.30.13)
I am. A Saudi and frankly very much bothered by your consistent negative rant on my country and our people .I like to draw your attention to few things as follows : - Saudi rabia doesnot do even 5 % of the things you seem to state . - Saudi Arabia is ultiamtelya developing country that is taking concrete gradual steps to develop , remember the Shah took draconian steeps to develo Iran , now witness what we have in Iran , they are trying to pull shame the Saudis to be more backward looking ( the ideological. Based is always. On the look for the more radical ) - If you are referring to the joint project in Afghanistan to kick USSR in the butt, it worked , but went haywired when US and S. Arabia dropped the ball .If you are back sliding liberal , then this doesnot register . - Saudi Arabia like any other countries in the region we have short comings no doubt , but to deny our forward development is wrong and unfair . -
12. Obama
Truthfully! ,   Australia   (09.30.13)
Remember Chamberlin & Hitler? History repeating itself! "Peace in our Time" , the Western World has short memories.
13. Iran nuclear straw man justifies greater Israel, occupation
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (09.30.13)
14. Obama the 11th plague!
Mira ,   Vienna   (09.30.13)
"....and on that score Obama is a complete failure: Iran has been inching closer to nukes every day that Obama has been in office." Don't get confused, guys, Obama is a complete failure on any score so far!
15. The world according to the right.
Shachar ,   Eilat   (09.30.13)
Rule number 1: No changes! The bad guys must remain bad and the good guys are always good no matter what they do. So Noah demands that Iran changes and at the same time explains that they can't possibly change....and when they do change it's a trick! Back in the real world Iran is changing. It's an internal struggle and no-one knows where it will end up. Nuclear weapons we can safely say they already have....
16. No. 8
NYC Girl   (09.30.13)
Let's suppose you get your wish and Israel leaves the Middle East. Then what? Sunnis and Shias will stop slaughtering each other? Muslims in countries like Sudan and Egypt will stop killing Christians? And Muslim extremists will stop killing Muslims who aren't as fanatic as they are? Maybe you should think about re-examining your racist delusions and realize that removing Israel from the Middle East will solve nothing. Then you might want to consider where millions of Israelis....the majority of whom originally come from the Middle East, are supposed to go. And here's a hint. Hell is not an option... as much as you Muslim psychos would like it to be.
17. # 16 new York girl
(09.30.13)
Hey girl , the facts are as follows : - you really donot have proof of that , actually the trouble between Sunnis and shite are spread deliberately or inadvertently by You espeically US , France, Uk, and Israel , so your absence can only be better .Iran turkey, nd maybe Egypt and Saudi Arabia , will sort things out . - notice the Korean conflict , since it is managed with limited role by Westren countries , it is ugh more contained , it is only once your involved , you start to play on the weaknesses with humanistic responsibility . - Once Us start to act ndpendently from the Jewish lobby , Israelis will migrate to Australia, Canada, and US , and Westren conscious will be gain humanistic . - Inless you listen , Iran will show you the way by attrion and force firmly in time .
18. #8 wet dream
aaron ,   toronto,canada   (09.30.13)
And now #8 go ask your mommy to change your sheets and tell her you had A WET DREAM. The only people killing sunnis are Shiites.
19. Truth
marco ,   pardes hana, israel   (09.30.13)
Iranian Recipe for (Yellow) Cake 1 Tiqiyya 2 12th Imam Mix well together above ingredients. Infuse the mixture into the brains of the (with a smile). Patiently wait until the effects of the cake have taken over. ENJOY!
20. To: No. 8
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (09.30.13)
Reality check time, asspour. If Israel attacks Iran, Iran will simply cease to exist. It is time for you to give up and die. We're more than happy to arrange. Now crawl away and bang your head into a stone while you present your hindquarters to your faux deity. Puts a whole new meaning to the words "Bottoms up!" News flash: no one will miss you when you are gone. You're all way to primitive to live, in any event.
21. To: No. 11
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (09.30.13)
No one has to contrive anything to portray Saudi Arabia as primitive -- the Saudis are doing it all on their own. Beheadings. Lopping off of hands. Wrapping women up like mummies dressed in black in 115 degree Fahrenheit heat. Cannot drive. Can only leave their homes in the company of an adult male relative. Forced marriages of fifteen and sixteen year old girls to their seventy year old uncles. Please. You don't have a culture. You have a disgrace. And the only beneficiaries of Saudi wealth are the thousands of princelings who build palace after palace after palace. I've seen Saudi princes in the casinos of Monte Carlo slug back liquor in dizzying quantities, smoke cigarettes and cigars and surround themselves with Western prostitutes. How come THEY never get beheaded? Your country is an anachronism. No one would pay any attention to you at all were it not for the oil. Well, the oil would be fairly easy to take control of -- do keep that in mind.
22. # 20 Sarah B
Mohsen Abasour ,   Shiraz, Iran   (09.30.13)
You can talk but ultimately you who is winning , our president refused to shake hands with your weak president. The American leadership knows who is controlling the agenda in the region .You may use fire power , but the more you use it the less effective it becomes , that is why Bibi is acting like a baby , every time he sees Iran forging ahead he flies to America to cry . Go ahead use all the profane language you can muster , but you are losing and you know it
23. #21
(09.30.13)
Sara, I must say tha I am really fond of your linguistic style and a bit your right wing politics , but when it comes to the culture your way off lady .It is simply a fallacious argument to say Saudi women are forced , grant you we are not advanced country but that is relative anyway . moreover , we donot cut hands off ,believe you me I check with people in the know and I have been told the government is willing to confront ancient edicts but not willing to apply them either , so ok we are not there or here , but it is all part of a delicate process of managing change .Someof us are too impatient , you probably would , but you have no right. To demean others Beacuse of their culture . Regards Fahd from Madina , KSA
24. To Fahd #23
Shachar ,   Eilat   (09.30.13)
When compared to the primitive nature of many talkbacks here, I feel you have the right to feel culturally advanced and certainly better mannered and more civil than Sarah and her friends. And you are right, change is a delicate process. We also hope to change and see change in the region, slowly and peacefully.
25. Adon Beck's book is a real ....
Gideon Reader   (10.01.13)
...page turner. Very disquietening and full of seeing into a not very happy future. An excellent read. Beck appears to be very conversant with the subject of which he writes. Not a fun read; but a worthwhile one.
26. #23 You are a blatant liar
A ,   Belgium   (10.01.13)
"we donot cut hands off". How do you explain this, than? From International Business Times 3 April 2013: "Right hand amputation applies in cases of theft, whereas cross amputation - right hand and left foot - is prescribed for highway robbery." And as quoted from Saudi Arabia's leading executioner Muhammad Saad al-Beshi: "I use a special sharp knife, not a sword. When I cut off a hand I cut it from the joint. If it is a leg the authorities specify where it is to be taken off, so I follow that," And while you are in your typical arab state of denial, care to deny the fact that as of July 2013 there where 57 beheadings in Saudi Arabia, one of which a 17 year old child care worker from Indonesia, and 5 Yemenis who were also crucified upside down. At least one of your statements was absolutely correct: "we are not advanced country". No you are not, you are a barbaric, cruel, primitive country that has no place in the modern world. Care to discuss the Saudi practice of slave labor too?
27. #23 Sweetening reality aren't we?
Expat ,   Adelaide   (10.01.13)
Your country is still horrendous when it comes to women's rights, and everything Sarah said about this issue is true. And furthermore, a few years ago, when a fire consumed an all-girls school, the Saudi police chose to let dozens of schoolgirls burn alive, rather than opening the school gate for their safety. The reason? The girls were not dressed modestly enough. And just recently, one of your clerics declared that driving damages a woman's uterus... And as #26 pointed out, your country still cuts off hands for thieves. Finally, your county is still a prime exporter of terrorists. You seem reasonable enough and a good person, but unfortunately your country still has got a long way to go.
28. #26
Fahd Alharby ,   Madina , KSA   (10.02.13)
There are more killing in Texas than Saudi Arabia which has more people , but more important , the cutting of limps has not been practiced for well over fifteen years . You are also taking things out of context , since you are. Superimposing a Western liberal cultural prism on a different culture .If you are really sincere , you would understand the culture from within and try to trace it's evolutionary path to development unless you want to destroy it like Iraq . Please choose your stand carefully and come to respect others even if it is different from yours
29. #28, You amazes me..
Beary White ,   Norway   (10.02.13)
You lack of information and lack in history of your country is very sad. But it is amazing that you fight for your opinion based of no knowledge. The censorship in your country must be very hard, keeping the population in stone-age. era. A friend of mine, a skilled engineer, actually saw what happened in the center of the town, Ryihad. every morning,and you don't know???
30. #22. Iranian people are losing big time.
Chaim ,   Israel   (10.02.13)
The real losers are the Iranian people. Most of them would much rather be allies of Israel, as they were before the Islamic Fundamentalists took over. Iran was INFINITELY better off in those days than today. Now Iranian people face disaster because of Iran's lunatic leadership. If they had any sense, Iranians would rid themselves of these self serving fundamentalist cretins.
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