I would not say that the general American knowledge of Iran is any less than say the general Australian knowledge of Iran.

Just because some people here do not know much about Iran, does not give you a free pass to lecture everyone about Iran as if they do not know.

Some do and some do not. So why do you only focus on the negative and treat it as the whole?

So while the Iranian theocracy holds state sponsored "Death to America" rallies, in your opinion it is Americans who are antagonizing the situation.

I have to disagree.

I would say the Iranian people have been very misled over the decades about their Iranian govt's demonization of America, aka the Great Satan. I think it is just a ploy to divert attention away from domestic issues. I think it is evident in the growing disenfranchisement of the younger generations in Iran who are not in step with the theocracy.

But you ONLY want Americans to consider that they are the problem?

Sorry Daisy. You need to be fair and objective.

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One day, I will sneak across the border into Canada and be an illegal alien. It will be fun.

Some suggestions:

1. read about Operation Ajax
2. read about the regime of the Shah
3. read about the SAVAK and who was training them
4. read about the prelude to and the reasons behind the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran
5. read about US support to Saddam during the first Gulf War

And then come back.

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Exposing the dark side.

No it isn't, but they seem to go to great lengths to reproduce the entire content with regard to the crap the Arab media is producing ...


Talking about relevancy, then the accuracy of their translations isn't relevant either. Point of this thread was that, despite all the crap they are bringing about Israel, they are also capable of broadcasting programs in favor of the jews.

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Exposing the dark side.

Language Institute
Congressional Report Says U.S. Clueless on Iran Nukes
BBC NEWS | Middle East | US 'lacks Iran arms intelligence'

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Exposing the dark side.

United States > Iran
United States > Australia

Do you have a point here?
Of course the accuracy is relevant. I have no interest in reading inaccurate translations. Which is why it's important that even MEMRI's enemies admit the translations are accurate.
I am glad the Iranian government has allowed a television broadcast that admits the existence of the holocaust. Maybe someday they'll stop the vile and disgusting daily broadcast and print propaganda that continues as we speak. In the meantime I am not so overcome with admiration for this momentary acknowledgement of reality that I can forget what usually passes for entertainment there.

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A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their master, who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the last extremes of injustice and oppression.
Edward Gibbon

Your first link is from 2001.

The other links do not directly link the lack of intelligence about the Iran nuclear program to a lack in Farsi-speaking analysts.

Thanks to the previous administration's major cuts in the intelligence community, combined with the 9/11 attacks, our intelligence community was lacking. There is still room for growth in Farsi, and other midle eastern language speakers, but great strides have been made in that direction.

You can't even begin to learn Arabic without backlash. The Arabic school in New York was practically shut down because of the idea that teaching kids Arabic would teach them how to be suicide bombers. So, no, teaching/learning Arabic is not high on our list of things to do in America. And Farsi is a smaller language than Arabic.

We didn't have Arabic speakers before 9/11 and none to cut with budget cuts.