New Word Order: Iranian Admiral Coins New Political Sin: Iranophobia

By Barry Rubin

During an interview on Iranian television, the Iranian admiral who led a two-ship flotilla up the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal, and to Syria--asserting Iran's expanding power--made the following statement:

"Of course, what has caused the raising of tensions is normally the action of the enemy. It uses any action by the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to promote its agenda of Iranophobia."

Of course, according to him, everyone loves Iran except the evil "Zionist regime." But since, he adds, everyone else in the world hates the "Zionist regime" that's not much of a problem.

Will "Iranophobia" become the latest no-no on the Politically Correct (rather than Factually Correct) list? Stay tuned.

Oh, and by the way, now that the Iranian navy can use the Suez Canal, it is beginning joint training with its ally, the Syrian navy. Hasn't the U.S. government spent two years engaging Syria to wean it away from Iran? Guess that didn't work out, did it? Any sign that policy is being reconsidered? No, not at all.

Oh, and speaking of Syria and the idea that we are all anti-dictatorship now, Vogue magazine just did a glowing piece about how wonderful the anti-American, terrorist-supporting dictatorship there is. I guess an anti-American, terrorism-supporting dictatorship is much better than a pro-American dictatorship that maintains regional peace and fights terrorism.