On Hassan Rouhani's US trip: Christiane Amanpour out, Ayatollah Khamenai in. And no afterglow...

What was shaping up to become a love story of the century, ends with a squeak, if the same CNN that invested so much in raising the expectations, is to be believed:

But Khamenei felt uncomfortable with aspects of the trip, he said in a speech at a graduation ceremony for army officers in Tehran.

"Some of the things that took place during the trip to New York were not quite desirable," the official Fars News Agency quoted him. They were "inappropriate," Iran's English language broadcaster Press TV reported him saying.

Oh well, maybe the next round of "engagement", relentlessly pursued by the current administration, will be more successful. Of course the gentle chiding Rouhani got from his boss is less surprising than CNN's reference to Press TV - the most anti-Western, antisemitic, conspiracy-mongering and hate-exuding outfit east of the Red Sea. Mind-boggling really how low the high and mighty can fall.

Nevertheless, it might be interesting to know what are these "things that took place and were not quite desirable/inappropriate"? But I guess, Mr Rouhani will be told about them in detail next time he is called for a chat with the chief. And then told again...

One thing, however, we can guess about Ayatollah's own trip, to that graduation ceremony he gave a speech at: something was seriously wrong there:

Wasn't the fish off, General?

And, speaking about speeches and things going wrong: that was a wondrous editorial NYT fired off at Bibi recently, after his speech in UN. One generally expects an editorial, especially from so august a leader of progressive journalism and all that is dear to us, to take a stance and to be firm on it (while, of course, being gentle at the same time, as is fitting the progressive and aug...). Instead, the piece is full of incomprehensible bumbling and mumbling:

• OPENING: During an aggressive speech at the United Nations on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel used sarcasm and combative words... Bad, bad Bibi.
• BUT: Mr. Netanyahu has legitimate reasons to be wary of any Iranian overtures, as do the United States and... Does he now? Thanks so much.
• ON THE OTHER HAND: But it could be disastrous if Mr. Netanyahu and his supporters in Congress were so blinded by distrust of Iran that they exaggerate the threat... What threat?
• YET: Even so, Iran hid its nuclear program from United Nations inspectors for nearly 20 years, and the country is enriching uranium to a level that would make it possible to produce bomb-grade nuclear material... Oh, that one...
• AND EVEN: These facts make it hard not to view the upcoming American-brokered negotiations skeptically.... are you with me so far? Because I am losing it (the thread, I mean).
• STILL: But Mr. Netanyahu has hinted so often of taking military action to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon that he seems eager for a fight. Oh, so he is a bad Bibi again? Oh is he? Oy vey.

I quit at this point, being unable to cut through this thick and gooey mush that is supposed to be an editorial. What about you?
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