A WINDOW FOR GOODWILL

The catastrophic earthquake in north-western Iran has resulted in 100,000 casualties, half of them dead. The disaster has shocked Iran and, understandably, led to heated political over-reaction. It may seem rather callous for Gulf States Newsletter to focus on the political repercussions (at home and overseas) of the cataclysm rather than the human tragedy – but it was, after all, the Tehran Times which carried a headline announcing that "Earthquakes can be a blessing in disguise".