George James

I was looking at a website the other day and I came across Mr. George James. The said website provides old magazines and book in PDF format from the days before the so-called Islamic Revolution, basically before the days the destruction of the old country started. Of course a few are publish after 1979.

The magazine which used to be published by the Royal Iranian Air Force, has an article about a flight club and names a few foreigners, including George James, who had joined the club at the time. Mr. James was ambassador to the country from 1972 to 1977, when he retired. 

Looking for him on the web, I realized he has been interviewed in 2012 shortly after the embassy was shut down in his hometown, somewhere in Ontario. He was 93 at the time. 

Mr. James calls the closure of the embassy an stupid act by the Government. He believes that Canada should not have closed the ears, their ears, in that country. The stupidity just cost me almost $200, American! 

He also, according to the interview, had predicted the Revolution which I do not believe. He claims that he visited the clergy in the holy city of Qom and then the Americans were making fun of him by asking him what kind of weapons and ammunition the clergy had!

Obviously they were referring to the fully armed forces of the Shah and questioning him as how he thought such a powerful King who was supported by a very modern and strong army, could be overthrown?! Today a sane person knows if it had not been a well-prepared plan by the American and British, the Shah would not have been kicked out. 

Nevertheless I agree with him that the closure of the embassy was stupid, not only for the above reasons, but also for others which are obvious to others. I guess Canadians are following the US policy in Iran although they show lots of interest and fondness in the British! 

The embassy of Britain was attacked by hard-liners, that's what they say, more than 2 years and a half ago and cost almost To me it is To me it is £1 million and now they are planning to re-open the embassy and send back their ambassador! The embassy of the US was attacked and seized in late 1979, more than 34 years ago and they have never had any plan to re-open it. I understand that their diplomats were taken hostage for 444 days but still shows that there are many untold stories in the world of politics. 

(Photo: The Smiling Mr. George James in a 1973 issue of a magazine, when he was ambassador of Canada to Iran, on left at age of 93, in 2012, in his interview with The Globe and Mail)