Yeah, Right, Whatever

Last Friday, there was the dinner. It was supposed to be a nice, peaceful meal with a chance for Iranian and American counterparts to chat about that pesky nuke problem. So much for peaceful.

First, Senator Joe Biden was late (he said he went to the wrong place). Then there was the menu.

Moderator David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, apologised for the fact that wine had been served, upsetting the Muslim guests. Waiters cleared the offending glasses.

They also removed the menus since the hotel had planned to serve non-hallal meat, breaching Islamic dietary rules. Even the soup spoons were withdrawn - erroneously, it transpired.

What was on the menu? Pork chops? I mean, really, people. It's not like the entire world hasn't been made aware of Islamic dietary restrictions over the past few years (which are remarkably similar to kosher guidelines, but don't tell them that). If you're trying to play nice with someone, you don't start off the evening by offending them. Geeez.

Well, the discussion began without Senator Biden, who showed up an hour and a half late. Iran's Foreign Minister was quite insistent that their nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only, but then...

"We want to be independent. That's why we developed our nuclear technology. It has become a matter of national pride," he said.

Asked whether it might be in Iran's national interest to foreswear nuclear enrichment rather that risk isolation, tougher economic sanctions and military action, he said maintaining scientific self-sufficiency was one of Tehran's highest goals.

"Iran cannot be ignored. Its rights cannot be denied. Such a country with so much potential has to be given room to play its role," Kharrazi said.

Sounds peaceful to me. How about you? And, then Senator Biden rode in to save the day. Or, at least he would have if his wife hadn't further insulted the Iranians' sensibilities.

His wife's figure-hugging leather pants and a top that left her arms bare from the shoulders were in stark contrast to Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar's all-enveloping chador, although both wore black.

Are there no protocol officers available for these people? I'm not saying that Mrs. Biden should have worn a burkha or anything. I'm just saying that black leather pants aren't appropriate for any meeting with high-ranking government officials (unless of course you're employed by an escort service). Was she trying to offend them? If so, she did a pretty good job.