What We Are Living With

The possibility of a diplomatic solution to the clash of fundamentalisms over Iran's nuclear programme is a cause of "real, genuine" concern for the Vicar of Downing Street.

The Press Association, which is happy to regurgitate George W Bush's "rogue state" designation without distancing quotation marks, reports that Tony is deeply, deeply worried - not only about the nuclear problem and, presumably, its possible solution by Russia, but also about Iran's "support for terrorism" and its "meddling" in Iraq. Support for terrorism and meddling in Iraq, you see, are two things that Tony would never, ever do, and Tony does not believe other people should do them either. Tony knows all about motes and beams, you see.

"On each of those three issues we have real, genuine cause for concern," the Vicar of Downing Street said. His concern arises because Iran, unlike the United States, is "a powerful country with a large part of the world's energy resources at their disposal." If Iran did develop an independent nuclear deterrent, it would be "a very serious threat to world stability and peace", presumably because it might deter the United States and its little helper from using white phosphorous to democratise the recalcitrant Persians.

Tony's long-term goal, you see, remains "the spread of democracy and human rights in the Middle East". When Tony has achieved this, much will change "with the security and other problems we have in the world today." But it's an uphill struggle, you see:

"I think for far too many of these regimes in the Middle East, they entered into a kind of unspoken pact with their people, with parts of their civic society where, in return for very low levels of political and human rights, you ended up with a religious extremist element being given its head. And I think that is what we are living with."

What Britain and America are living with, you see, is not necessarily permissible for Iran.