In an extraordinarily and inappropriately indulgent interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif yesterday, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell rolled her eyes as she mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position that the "deal" between Iran and an alliance led by the U.S. is a "mistake of historic proportions."
Immediately after doing so, she refocused her attention on Zarif, smiled and batted her eyelashes as she finished her question. The video which immediately follows the jump was posted at Digitas Daily (HT PJ Tatler via Ed Driscoll at Instapundit):
The full segment can be found at MSNBC.com (click on the segment "Iranian FM Zarif: 'I don’t think this agreement harms anybody'"):
Other than the eyeroll incident, which occurs at the 7:20 mark of the full segment, perhaps the most annoying point in the interview among very many, including Zarif's unchallenged assertion that Iran doesn't sponsor terrorism, is the pat on the back he delivered to Secretary of State John Kerry:
Mitchell: How much was the personal relationship between you and John Kerry responsible for breaking through logjams when there were obstacles along the way?Zarif: Well, I think Secretary Kerry showed a great deal of patience, and courage, and exercised a great deal of wisdom in order to be able to move this process forward. And I believe his commitment to this process as well as that of President Obama and President Rouhani and the (Supreme) Leader (were also important).
The proper translation of Zarif's response, in the context of reports from the negotiations earlier this year, would really appear to be, "See, yelling and intimidation work." Here is an excerpt from one of those earlier reports, of course carried at a center-right media outlet, because the establishment press failed to report it, though it was widely known (bolds are mine):
Top Iranian Nuke Negotiator Ordered to Stop Screaming at Kerry
Supreme Leader urges him to lower voice, citing the QuranIran’s foreign minister and lead negotiator in nuclear talks with the United States has been ordered by the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader to stop shouting and yelling at Secretary of State John Kerry during negotiating sessions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told his country’s state controlled media in a recent interview that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has instructed him to stop yelling at Kerry and other top U.S. officials during the talks.
Reports about Zarif’s temper first emerged in the Iranian press last November, when the United States and Iran agreed to extend talks through June of this year.
Zarif is said to “frequently shout at Western diplomats” with such force that bodyguards have been forced to enter the negotiation room.
Apparently, Kerry just sat there and took the abuse, clearly signaling a "commitment" to make a deal no matter how uncivilly he was treated when any other person with an ounce of dignity would have walked out. If there was ever any doubt in the Iranaians' minds that the U.S. was willing to make a deal regardless of the price, that exercise surely eliminated it.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
