Tuesday, October 30, 2007
THE Foreign Office has cleared dozens of Iranians to enter British universities to study advanced nuclear physics and other subjects with the potential to be applied to weapons of mass destruction.
In the past nine months about 60 Iranians have been admitted to study postgraduate courses deemed “proliferation-sensitive” by the security services. The disciplines range from nuclear physics to some areas of electrical and chemical engineering and microbiology.
Additionally, figures obtained by David Willetts, the shadow secretary for innovation, universities and skills, show that in 2005-06, 30 Iranians were doing postgraduate degrees in subjects covering nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.
The flow of Iranian scientists to Britain for training has caused alarm as the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West becomes increasingly tense. When confronted with the figures this weekend, the Foreign Office admitted that it was reviewing the vetting for sensitive areas of study and planned to announce an overhaul within the next few weeks to make procedures more rigorous...
When Iran first started wanting to kick out the Westerners and nationalize the oil industry, they didn't have people who knew how to run the plants. No such trouble now, and with much more complicated industries.
'The last Westerner will teach us to tie the knot on the rope with which we will hang him.'
'The last Westerner will teach us to tie the knot on the rope with which we will hang him.'
This, obviously, is intended as a put-down of Western capitalism (which is the way Marx meant it too).
But this version can be seen in a different way as well, and cause us to wonder: why, oh Iran, do you have Westerners on hand to teach you to tie knots? Are you incapable of figuring such things out for yourselves?
Just asking...
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline