to rally round the flag as they traditionally do in moments of national danger. Georgy Mirsky (photo), senior researcher at the Moscow Institute of World Economy and International Relations, was interviewed on the radio station Ekho Moskvy Monday and said Iran was deliberately fomenting tensions with Washington. “Every time there is a rise in tension with the West, the Iranian leadership immediately declares that this is further proof that the Western world seeks to grab Iran by the throat and push it to its knees. But [Iran then says] we are never going to comply; we shall retaliate blow-for-blow. And this always works without fail because even those [Iranian] people who have no warm feelings for the cur- rent leadership forget their internal disputes and rally round the leadership,” Mirsky said.
