Presidents
Lula of Brazil and Ahmadinejad of Iran:
building
a lasting relationship on shared values?
El Universal, Argentina
Seeking the Limelight: Lula's Folly is Ahmadinejad's Gain
"Over
recent days, we've witnessed Lula's outbursts in defense of an indefensible agreement
… The world knows of the Iranian theocracy's capacity for deception, which is
why this agreement is seen as a trick by Tehran to postpone sanctions and buy time
to develop its nuclear program to the point of no return."
Now that Lula is about to end
his last presidential term in Brazil, he's showing a strong desire to be in the
limelight. This appears to blind him to such a degree that he doesn't seem to mind
injustice, putting the security of other countries or the entire world in jeopardy,
or the failure to find real solutions to certain problems.
Over recent days, we've
witnessed Lula's outbursts in defense of an indefensible project: the agreement
reached with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, with the goal of getting
the Iranian regimen to accept an exchange with Turkey of enriched uranium.
The world knows of the Iranian
theocracy's capacity for deception, which is why this agreement is seen as a
trick by Tehran to postpone sanctions and buy time to develop its nuclear
program to the point of no return. In fact, this agreement among Lula, Erdogan
and Ahmadinejad doesn't resolve the crisis, but instead raises new doubts and
concerns. On numerous occasions, Ahmadinejad has warned that his country will
not stop enriching uranium without international supervision and he has never made
clear how much of the mineral Iran already has.
Neither is Erdogan reliable;
his Islamist tendencies have been gradually converting Turkey into a country
prone to religious radicalism. But in Lula’s case, one might ask whether these types
of alliances are merely the response of his elevated ego, inexcusable naivety
or perhaps some diabolical plot.
