The True Heart

۲۰ تیر ۱۴۰۰ Essays

 

Essay on Hamdeli Newspaper - July 25, 2019 - 
 
 
The original text was in Persian and the following translation was done by Ai.
 

Gando was a different series, and the first difference was in its audience and goals. Although at the time of the series' launch, its audience was the usual general audience for television series, it soon became clear that the series had a specific goal behind it, and as a result, it attracted a new audience.

The first thing that seemed completely out of place in this series was the black and white characters, in a style that has not been popular in the art world for years. The series represented a type of perspective that describes itself as completely nationalistic, resourceful, devoted, and decisive, and others as oblivious, influenced, traitorous, or desperate and weak.

But regarding the production and distribution of this series, various aspects should be considered:

 

What the script of the attempt emphasized was an "anti-method" behavior: forces that, although they have many and almost unlimited possibilities all over the world, treat every problem as an exception and therefore easily fall into the other side's simple tricks such as anti-persecution, which is one of the first trainings of every intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage and guerrilla force. However, as emphasized in the dialogues, these forces can overcome everything not because of theoretical and operational mastery, but because of a "pure heart". This is of course an imaginary conclusion: such incidents where the exception triumphs over the method have never happened and will not happen in the long run. Incidentally, it must be believed that intelligence-security work is also a specialized matter and its teachings go beyond a few recommendations and advice. In our own history, if we look carefully, the successes have been the result of method and performance based on knowledge and experience, and not ad hoc encounters.
The most important gaffe of the operation, which revealed the glaring contradiction between professionalism and noviceness, was the manner in which the most important subject of the story, Michael Hashemian, was arrested: a professional spy who is of strategic importance to both the Iranian and American governments and has been on an intelligence tour for a long time, was arrested when the arrest operation was scheduled, purely by a spur-of-the-moment decision by two members of the main team, including the film's first person, and in a completely primitive manner. While typically at such moments, the security police or other similar institutions act extremely quickly and decisively and take the initiative in all aspects. Not that the issue is reduced to a long conversation with the building guard and even a force is eliminated for no reason.
Of course, this is not necessarily due to dramatic appeals or flaws in the script. Rather, the series insisted that the method of operation of the forces it approved was self-made and based on whatever form they saw fit, and of course successful. And there is no need for the forces to benefit from classical training and methods, equipment and makeup in this field. It is as if their equations are different and this difference should be proud of.

The series had a kind of implicit violation of purpose: espionage is, by definition, the transmission of classified information to a foreigner. Something that, after all, the main character of the film was never defined as having access to. The extreme level of access of the photographer to the personal affairs of government officials was mentioned, which in no way results from that level of obtaining classified information.

If someone, as stated in the dialogues, simply acquires, classifies and analyzes public information and in this way develops the interests of his government, he would probably not be an example of a spy. Because all the agents shown operating abroad were engaged in the same work. It would have been better if Gando had dealt with the above aspect more clearly, which incidentally revolves around it.

The film's main insistence, especially in the final parts, was on the passivity and helplessness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mohammad Javad Zarif himself: a forced and oppressed position that neither has proper knowledge and analysis about the Americans nor is it completely safe. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shown in Gando was only one step closer to the country and its interests than the enemy, and this went to the point that, alongside the many illegal and unlawful behaviors and actions of the positive characters in the film and the admiration of this lawlessness, in the final part we witnessed that the main character of the film (Mr. Mohammad), while accepting that the extradition law is the right and duty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, still proudly refuses to comply with the law and hand over the suspect - only because of the order of his superior - and again describes the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a harsh, ignorant and insecure person who, if the subject is handed over to him, may have committed a lenient act and deceive the Americans, and therefore he is portrayed with pride, humiliation and contempt.

All this while:

Everyone admits that there are few officials in the country who have as much experience in dealing with Americans as the Minister of Foreign Affairs: he both studied and spent his youth in the United States and has been present in this country for many years as a diplomat, and therefore the security official should probably not constantly cite "experience" of American behavior when dealing with them.
As a rule and according to the law, the institution responsible in the country for any interaction and contact with foreigners is solely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all the experience of these interactions has been in this ministry. This is while Gandu has repeatedly tried to reduce the dignity and capabilities of this institution to the level of "translation". Certainly, these attacks on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minister himself have not escaped the attention of the country's regional and global rivals, and it is also what their most ardent tendencies - for example, US Secretary of State Pompeo - are trying to insinuate: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no authority in Iran, and this is completely against the national interests of the country.

Finally, once and for all, it must be put to an end that we have only one covenant in the public arena of the country - including politics, security, economy, etc. - and that is the law. Illegal and anti-legal behavior based on what one person considers to be "interest" has no justification, and from the top to the bottom of the country, there is a hierarchy and description of duties based on the law. No action, no expediency, no benefit, no problem justifies the slightest act against the law and hierarchy, and if such a thing is observed, it should not be praised, but should definitely be condemned and condemned.

The arrest of a person on charges or the crime of espionage in the midst of sensitive nuclear negotiations – whether it was in the film or what we witnessed in the real version – assuming complete truth and legitimacy, could potentially endanger major national interests. It must be admitted that it was only the Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who, with their highly professional actions, turned this into an opportunity during the negotiations and were able to both benefit from it for the benefit of the negotiations and bring further benefits – such as the release of twenty-three of our citizens from American prisons and the release of one billion and seven hundred million dollars in the country’s cash. While appreciating the contribution of each responsible institution within the legal framework, it must be acknowledged that translating such events at historical junctures from a matter for the other party to abuse and threaten national interests into an opportunity can only be achieved by the capable hands of the country’s foreign policy apparatus, which is truly one of the most professional and efficient institutions in the country. This professional performance is evidenced by the fact that the current President of the United States, even after years of that incident, still regularly refers to such interaction with Iran as a failure for his country and cannot hide his anger. It is hoped that we will also appreciate the specialized and experienced forces of the country, including the aforementioned ministry, in the process of building resources and addressing the people, and will give the truth of the matter, away from the confrontations of domestic politics and the preparation of advertising reports.

 

 

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