So, let me get this straight. The US shouldn't regard a country that has routinely called for,supported, and carried attacks on American soldiers and citizens and is responsible for the term "Great Satan" as its enemy?

I think someone is living in Looney Tunes Land.

Bob:
"And Iran does as well. All lawbreakers must ultimately face justice. Are you ready to for your leaders to face their crimes?" Enf of quote.

I have yet to see someone come here and take advantage of free space on world net to advertise his idiocy to the extent you have.

You mention the IAEA while failing to reference any violations by Iran towards her obligations and agreements with the agency.
I am not surprised at all one like you have placed so much confidence and emphasis on UN. UN is just an institution created and administered by the haves. It is void of equality and justice for all. Iranian people will not be undermined by a fake such as you. The Iranians are not to be manipulated, influenced, harassed and deterred by any administrations, let alone one, so void of any human principles and values.

BOB-

I suggest you first read the reports of IAEA on Iran and then point fingers.

A) Neither Iran, Iraq or any other country is required to prove a negative. The stupid American trick is to hype up an atmosphere to put countries in this impossible position.

B) NPT is about allowing civilian nukes AND requiring treaty members to help other treaty members to develop civilian nukes for power, etc. (Art. 4 of NPT). But USA & Co. is standing in Iran's way by setting up sanctions. [This is in part due to the ham-handed practice of sanctions against Pakistan and India, which are not NPT members and of course Israel...). So, speaking of breaching international obligations, try that for size.

C) No part of NPT allows members to pass an opinion on how that country conducts its internal affairs, and I wonder what will be America's standing with its Guantanamo and Abu Ghuraib stories.

and finally, America's invasion of Iraq was and remains illegal. There was no security council authorisation to invade the country. USA and UK made up a hollow, now failing, coalition of willing and attacked Iraq. There is a clear report of the British Attorney General to the Parliament that makes this illegality clear, at least under UK law (which is linked to UN Treaty).

Unfortunately, USA has quit the World Court in The Hague, after loosing to Nicaragua in 1980s shortly after the Reagan era Iran-Contra Affair due to America's illegal attempts to destabilize Nicaragua (....which is similar to the topic of this article).

If a similar case is brought before the World Court, USA will lose flatly.

A. Khun and Ali, Excellent and correct points.

Mr Ettefagh, perhaps you have heard of the Nuclear Non-profileration Treaty your country signed, no? The IAEA, no? Your responsibilities under international law to the UN, no?

Since when did the US do anything in Iraq counter to UN resolution and international law? However you paint it, the US had full legal rights to invade and occupy Iraq, they did not violate any laws, Iraq did.

And Iran does as well. All lawbreakers must ultimately face justice. Are you ready to for your leaders to face their crimes?

Mullas are 10 years benind Sadam Housain ,they are on the same path , their fate is sealed , they are close to their end , internally and externally, remember Mr Sahaaf who was Sadam's minister of information who was keeping himself and poor people misinformed till the last moment?

The Iranian people are far ahead of what a forlorn and dreary could possibly imagine.

@ A. KUHN

Really? You have TWO shades of gray to choose from?

Oh please....

This whole story of $400 million is just another rip-off game of American taxpayers, they are getting the cash (via a few intermediaries and lobbyists, one named Michael Ladeen...ex-Iran-Contra scandal of Reagan era) to fund the MEK or MKO, the Mujahedeen Khalq which is a designated terrorist organisaton by U.S. State Dept.

Part of the fund is to pay for the elaborate TV and radio system of MKO, some to fund the lavish life style of the leader of these terrorists, who is living in hiding in Bulgaria, also to fund Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

Rubbish and deceitful ways of Uncle Sam. It is all about bilking money out of U.S. Government.

Darvaze Ghar,

I voted for John Kerry 4 years ago and plan to vote for Barack Obama this year because in America we are free to vote for candidates opposed to the government in power.

@ A. KUHN

What have you been smoking lately? Karzai's crop perhaps?

I bet you re-elected bush and you think Iraq is now a democratic, liberal society that puts Sweden to shame, all courtesy of American tanks?

No matter how you slice it, you cannot get around the fact that America has laws on the books to destablize Iran. That is an open declaration of hostile intentions against Iran. Iran does not have such laws.

Faramarz Fathi,

I am sorry for the devastation attitudes like yours will bring to your people.

A. Kuhn:

I am inclined to believe you got lost trying to get to National inquirer.
Get the drift !

God knows that the United States doesn't need another war. However, I see the decision resting with the Iranian government, and the Iranians seem stubbornly set on causing a war. The problem is not that Americans hate Iran abut that Iranians hate America. I have never heard of Americans chanting "Death to Iran!" Iranians have a bizarre and erroneous idea that their country was victimized by the America. Iran has *never* been the subject of European colonialism, as Ahmadinejad likes to claim, but in fact has been the imperialistic victimizer itself. The USSR and British invasion of Iran was in response to Iran's government cozying up to Adolf Hitler. The British and American sponsored coup was only in response to Iran illegally seizing British property. In the Iran-Iraq war, Iraq was mostly financed by the Soviets, not the US. However the Iranians still have a pernicious anti-Americanism as well as an unseemly hatred of Israel (a country that has done Iran no harm despite Iran's continued financing of terror against its people).

Iran has ballistic missiles pointed at American and Israeli targets, and if Iran lets these fly, the US will have to make war on Iran in defense of the free world. Ahmadinejad has succeeded at the nearly impossible task of angering an increasingly anti-war American public enough to make them start to seriously consider going to war against Iran.

ROY
It seems, you and your friend G.W. Bush & Co. are in deep denial. Attacking Iran will not solve any problems (say, the U.S. economic recession, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Budget Deficit and the shortfall of the social security system, price of oil, getting rid of radicals--in both USA and the Middle East....LOL....-- and or rebuild America's destroyed credibility).

Foreign policy and behaviour in the intensely interlinked global village is not something that you pop in a microwave oven and get results as desired.

Secondly, Iran is just like USA...both of their people revolted to gain independence and be masters of their own lives. Remember 4th of July, 1776?

Roy wrote:

"One of the most entertaining parts of this guys mentality is that he thinks he can actually persuade American public opinion with his insulting propaganda."

I thought Dr. Ettefagh was very articulate and most poignant analysis. Since when exposing weakness of any country's political follies is an "insulting propganda" ? After all, USA attacked Iraq based on unfounded and trashy facts about Iraq amassing WMD. Scott Ritter (US rep. to the UNSCOM) had testified before the US Senate and Congress that Iraq did not have any nukes or chemical weapons. But, still US went ahead and basically attacked Iraq. George Bush Jr. later stated that Saddam Hussain had tried to murder George Bush Sr., which implicitly meant that such an attack was a personal revenge. Saddam Hussain had no truck with Muslim jihadists and hence George Bush (Commander-in-Chief) attacked Iraq based on a fabricated propganda that Iraq was having liason with Al-Qaeda.

Roy :

Please be specific and share your reasons for labeling Dr. Ettefagh as such.

It is evident that Dr. Ettefagh has won and continues to win American people's admirations among foreign writers for his intellectual and neutral writings which mostly concern the sensitive Iranian-American issues. Of course, unless you can prove otherwise, at least, to me,.
Dr. Ettefagh is also very popular and admired around the world for his writings that touches issues which need to be addressed and approached in an unbiased way by all countrys concerned, in that turbulent region currently.

One of the most entertaining parts of this guys mentality is that he thinks he can actually persuade American public opinion with his insulting propaganda.

Let's get it straight where the pressure on the U.S. is coming from: The Sunni Arab Gulf Nations.

With a regional super-power Iran hanging over them, the Arab Gulf nations are the ones telling the U.S. to stop Iran by any means possible.

Let's look at what they have to lose:

1) Their own privately owned countries (Saudis, Kuwait, Emirates etc)

2) Trillions of dollars in oil revenue.

3) Iranian threats to close off the Straits of Hormuz now come on a daily basis.

4) Revulsion at the ascendency of a radical heretical Shiite regime.

5) all of the above made worse by possible nuclear weapons.

What do you think Bush, Cheney, Rice and Gates have been hearing for the past two years as they have viesited the capitals of the Arab Gulf nations? They are scared rigid and want the U.S. to stop Iran from dictating their future.

In the face of this, Israel hardly counts as a factor in U.S. policy. Israel only supplies computer chip designs. The West runs on Arab oil.

Attacking Iran would be a BIG BLUNDER, if Seymour Hersh is right about the 400 million preparations. I shall vote Republican this time, but I am hoping that John McCain does the sensible thing by advocating hard-nosed diplomacy with Iranian government.

I do see a major problem with the present GOP foreign policies. If the regime change is so much desired, then what about China ? China is beacon of political repression and authoritarianism. But regardless, President Richard Milhaus Nixon went to China in 1972, dined and wined with Chou en Lai and Mao Dze Dong, and mend fences with radical Communism. China contains its Communism within its own borders, but is extremely brutal in silencing any internal opposition.

In Iran, stoning of the suspected is glorified. (Just google and find Dr. Ali Sina's website and you can look at those horrific stoning pictures.) Salman Rushdie was given the death fatwa by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. But, with the exception of its transnational hegemonies, like sentencing Rushdie, Iran has not openly attacked any country like Iraq (did to Kuwait). (I am still opposed to the Bush doctrine of attacking Iraq under the pretext of "War Against Terror". Iraq was a secular country till Bushies attacked it in 1991, and initiated its radicalization.)

My point: if US can live and strike a deal with China, why not Iran ? After all, China helped North Korea to come around on the nuke issue. It is plausible and possible that Iran can help USA eliminate Al Qaeeda. Is that a low priority now for US foreign policy ? Or do we have the likes of Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith and their boss Donald Rumsfeld still out there sharpening their knives ?

to IRANIAN
If you have a bone to pick with people in your own country, go do it there. Otherwise, be reminded that (a) Mullahs are Iranian too and (b) you should not tell non-Iranians in Europe what to do.

Very much to the point. This article must be read by all Americans as there is lots to learn from it. Thanks.

A little, but strictly personal opinion and I beg forgiveness from each of you in advance if I err, introduction about Iran's agendas,.

Iran is intent to live up to its all potentials and capabilities despite all the pressures, deterring moves and actions and intimidations to influence its decisions to any extent, for the past Twenty nine years.

I will not compromise the current gov in Iran overseas. Likewise, no Iranian should deny some of the preliminary qualities they should look for in their gov, exists in there.

It was not easy but I managed to read these comments and I must say Honest Abe gets the prize for being the most clueless in his request that the author should use "more plain langauge". At least try reading something, anything from Honest Abe dude.

Neutral in Europe,
Unlike your name ,you don't seems to be very neutral, Missiles are not an indication of stability of a government , Soviet Union with a great missile capability fell , It is the living condition and quality of life that determines if a gornment is succssful or not, living in Europe and defending Mullas is a bit contradictory,life quality is not measured by how much money Mullas are making from oil sales , happiness of the people is what it is all about, and that is why some pro Mullas live in Europe.

The poster IRANIAN has fallen victim to the propaganda tactics against Iran, alternatively he is a dreamer that thinks foreigners care for Iran.
Grow up. Only Iranians can build a better country.

Otherwise, I congratulate the author of this article. He has a sharp focus and a good command of describing the situation.

To poster IRANIAN

The Mullahs are in trouble? Really? With oil being at historical highs and the last 3 years of Ahmadinejad era has more oil revenue that the previous 25 years....?

Are they really in trouble, in historical terms? Iran has gone back to its ancient position of being the greatest regional power. People in Washington and London are worried of Iranian missile capabilities and nervous that Iran can build an atomic bomb. Is that trouble, or has Iran graduated to a higher level, despite denials and bully games of the so-called West.

Your beloved Shah was a puppet, a dictator and a softie. His management of the country was so bad that his own people revolted. Going back 70 years (that is only two generations), the Big 3 gathered in Tehran during WWII, but didn't think it was important to invite the Iranian king, if only out of courtesy. Now the world is talking about Iran as a military power. So, tell me is that being in trouble? or progess, in a historical context?

But Iran is peaceful enough to just mind its own business and, unlike Saddam's Iraq, Iran has not attacked its 15 neighbours.

Excellent prognosis!

I did not expect a certain individual here to even remotely connect to Iranians or anything Iranian, let alone, to come up with strayed remarks, no offense intended, and opinions. I have stated here earlier that the qualifications required for one to be and called Iranian, are extensive and rigid. Strictly in my opinion, not all Iranians born in Iran necessarily can even match those qualifications.

"So, in another memo to American politicians, the world ought to loudly tell Uncle Sam that Iran is not his enemy." End fo quote

As an avid reader of Dr, Ettefagh's articles and continuing to learn from him, I am baffled by the above quote. The American politicians are irrelevant to a great extent in most middle eastern foreign policies and decision makings. They are significantly influenced beyond their own abilities to interject the wishes of their own constituents. The Jews Born here in US, please note I did not say the American Jews, whose only loyalties are to the state of Israel, and firmly in control of media and various think- tank institutions, are the generators of these poisonous gas clouding the Iranian-US relationships. The Iranian and American, it sounds very repetitious here, have a lot in common. They are peace loving, principled, above-average generous and caring people.
Notwithstanding the above, I have long concluded American people have lost navigating their own destinty and are merely spare tools to be used for any causes beneficial to the state of Israel.

I oppose invading Iran (which I don't think is going to happen anyway) but nothing has made me want to change my mind more than the complete dishonesty of this essay.

I agree with Ali Ettegagh that Iran is not the "enemy" of the US and that the absurd notions of regime change harbored by fantasists in Washington, only work against the true interests of the US and Iran.

Iran's assistance is needed for achieving stability in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The grotesque squandering of hundreds of billions of dollars in the Iraq adventure could have been avoided altogether if Iranian offers of assistance with assessing any threat posed by Saddam Hussein had been accepted.

faramarz,
Obligation in Islamic Republic is to Allah and hiden Imam , and not to Iran , all the effort and energy in the past 30 years was focused on Islam,
Now that the Mullas are in trouble ,Iran is included in their speech , not out of the Love for Iran but as a neccessity for facing the current situation, They recently even talking about Iranian history and culture , which was baned and was condenemed corruped by Khomaini,
these are all Mulla's tricks,They Hate Iranian culture and history, they tried to wipe it out, and impose the Arab culture on Iran , they have done all the damage to Iran and it's name and reputation in the world ,it is very sad to see
a president who is waitting for the hiden Imam
to reemerge , being the leader of a nation,and.....

Any Iranian with the least sense of identity, pride and dignity, would be in Iran now and fulfilling his or her personal and civil obligations first and only then voicing any criticisms is lended with credibility to.

The rest are, no offense intended, irrelevant.

Oy :

Iran plays its regional and international role according and consistent to all its capabilities as it should and is admired, unlike what you see in Western media, around the world for its stance. The West has an agenda to put a, understandably, cap on Iran's independence and promotion of independence in the region.
Few people are adequately knowledgeable about Iran's natural resources, the Persian minds, military capabilities and the Western media consistently tries to vilify and demonize Iran because injustice is not tolerated in Persian culture and accordingly, the Iranian people are paying a heavy price for that.

I am still looking for tapes when any Iranian has said Israel should be wiped off the map. However, it is indeed true that the president has said, more than one occasion, that the occupier or a country commiting the greatest crime against humanity is on its path to self-destruction.

Armed with not an extensive knowledge about the history of Palestine and the complexity of issues surrounding that region, I admit, I still do not see any justification in Arabs/muslims accepting the 1947 partition plan being imposed upon them either in the past or presently.

Attention all K-Mart Shoppers:

Last week, the U.S. Government removed North Korea from its terrorist list before removing Nelson Mandela-- a 90 year old, Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Is that not enough to show that the U.S.G. is a kind of clueless? I begin to accept the Forrest Gump theory mentioned above.

@IRANIAN
You didn't understand what I said.
I meant to say that before the revolution, Iran was 100% reliant on its oil export, even just to feed itself as half of its food was imported and it created a lazy nation that were led to believe that they are "rich" and they don't need to work. That perception continues in Iran these days....and they think an outsider will help them, be it the hidden imam or a foreign power.

In any case, you are a fool to believe that a foreigner can help Iran or Iranians and all of those lazy people in Iran that want to have gain without working hard for it are also fools.
All of America and Europe and Japan and Russia was build due to hard work, discipline, patience, and honesty.

R2-D2
There was no such a thing as oil for food in Iran , it was a better managment of the economy that made a better life possible , Islamic Regime
economic policy is based on the will of Allah and hiden Imam , Iraq have a chance of better future if Islamic Regime let it be, Iraq is suffering because of Terrorist activity of
forces who don't want the democracy take root in the midleast, under islamic regime there is no hope for Iran what so ever,the regime is heading for dooms day any way ,Ahmdinejad has expressed at many occasions , the root of the problem is the position of Islam agaist the rest of the world.one must study and understand it first ,
otherwise he/she will be prone to make mistake ,
it is true that USA is after it's own interest,
but that is what everybody is after, a wise leadership is the one that manages the affair of the country in a manner that benefits its own people first,Islamic Regime may be beneficial to Russia's and UK's interests but not certainly Iranian's interest, ther are several layers of politics behinds the events,

Jenny: You can't keep doing this, Forrest. You can't keep tryin' to rescue me all the time.

Forrest: They was tryin' to grab you.

Jenny: A lot of people try to grab me. Just -- you can't keep doing this all the time!

Forrest: I can't keep it. I love you.

Jenny: Forrest, you don't know what love is.

@IRANIAN
OK, so life is not a bowl of cherries in Iran. But how could war and destruction make things better. Look at Iraq.... is an average Iraqi (say, a teacher or a student) better off than he was 6-7 years ago...and Saddam's Iraq was not exactly paradise. But at least Iraqis had the security of their streets.

Secondly, you have to look whether your country (or your former home) is better of today than 25-30 years ago, when it was on a oil-for-food program of a different kind? Imported more than half of its food, and spent the rest on weapons. Did Iran of those days, or will the Iran of your imagined post-attack by Batman have a stem cell rsearch program--that does not even exist in USA? Was the old Iran a more respected/feared regional power or the Iran of today?

What you are saying that you want to change ideologies. That is a bit different than changing a T-shirt. Violence, bombing and bad faith will not help anything. Visit Baghdad and you'll figure out what I mean.

don't fool yourself , look at realities of life in Iran , I just returned from Iran two mounth ago , any one that you talk to , is wishing the destruction of the regime ,by any means possible,
what self sufficency and arm sales you are talking about , people lining up for bread, they work the whole they just to earn a meal ,

Money and Numbers said it perfectly.

Billions and perhaps even trillions wasted by the US and the puppet arab surrogates has resulted in a more powerful, independent and confident Iranian state.

As a result of their isolation, they have learned to be self-sufficient. They develop their own military hardware and now have a robust revenue stream coming from sales of military equipment to other nations.

In time, it could become the modern Germany and Japan who rose from the ashes of their humiliating defeats in WWII to become one of the elite economies in the world.

In Iran's case, the humiliation that it experienced with its isolation and the whole world looking the other way as Saddam killed and maimed a million Iranians, gassed over 50,000 Iranians, and nightly bombed Iranian cities killings thousands of civilians have resulted in the society that will not compromise when it comes to its security and self-defense.

I can't blame them for that.

We can not allow the injustice to a nation of 80 million continues , Iran is a big Islamic prison,
any help to rescue Iranian people from atrocities of Mullas is wellcomed ,there is no life under Islamic regime , people are suffering ,and can not express their opinion, Those who live outside the Islamic prison and oppose any action that may leads to the removal of mullas from power ,are in fact supporting the terror regime ,

If there is a U.S. attack on Iran, look for it to come after the November election but before Bush leaves office. In the intervening two months of extreme lame duckness, the sitting President can still make a huge mess that his replacement will have to clean up. It was in this time period that
Bush senior invaded Somalia.

Four hundred million bucks is nothing....USA supported Saddam and Sunni Arabs (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in particular) supported Saddam with Billions, in money of 20 years ago, to undermine Iran. The result? USA had to spend trillion Dollars to fix its own mistakes in Iraq, not to mention losses suffered by Kuwait plus Saudi arms purchases (north of 40 billion USD) plus what USA has spent in keeping its navy in the Persian Gulf before attacking Iraq.

So, the article above is accurate. It is a sigh of frustration and a joke.

Thanks for your insight and exposing reality.

Covert action is another word for terror, except "covert action" is sanctioned by a sovereign government. If America takes such action against Iran, then it is no different than Al Qaida, the IRA or other "terrorists". Full stop.

Go Ahmadinejad, Go.....hang ALL Basluchi drug smugglers! and shoot the rest that are related to them.

Otherwise, very good article. War mongers, hate artists and general-purpose idiots ought to stay quiet. America has no business in being the Middle East.

Defanging Mehmud Ahmedinijad's Iran, which sincerely believes in wiping off Israel from the face of the earth, is a noble, humanist mission.

I am a liberal myself but have to admit not everything the Bush administration, C.I.A., or Pentagon does is always wrong.

I am an ethnic Baluch, trace my roots to Seistan-o-Baluchistan and my heart goes out to the sufferings of my people in Occupied Baluchistan.

Baluchistan, as much as 240,000 square miles of extremely strategic land that forms the upper lip of the Straits of Hormuz, was annexed by Iran in 1928 as the British looked the other way. I am told by friends, who still live in Iran, that the shia mullah rulers are conducting a massive cultural genocide of the Baluch people and other ethnic and religious minorities.

Public hangings of the Baluch is a daily phenomenon.

The Baluch have their distinct ethnic names, but the officials change those names to shia names at the time of birth registration.

I called Zahedan University, but was told they do not have a Baluchi language department.

A regime change through covert operation is the best way to get rid of the mullahs in Iran. In fact this should have been the way things should have been handled in Iraq.

In spite of all Iranian atrocities, majority of the Persian people are very nice and open minded and will support any covert action to rid their once-glorious nation of the menace of mullaism.

Let's dump the mullah where they rightfully belong--the dumpster of history.

Viva Pentagon, Viva C.I.A.

Is this what passes for PostGlobal articles nowadays? Incoherent polemics that alternate between blithe dismissal of geopolitical issues and juvenile name-calling? I mean, really: Batman and Forrest Gump?

My guess is that DR.KAHOOR KHAN HOOSHAAPI is either a Mujahed or a Baha'i.

If it is the latter, then I don't blame him for his rambling.

But if he is a Mujahed, then he should really be quiet for so many reasons.

Good point Robert, why should they?

They are driven by national self-interest to struggle against us. We are driven by national self-interest to struggle against them. As Dr. Ettefagh has accurately pointed out, it is not in either of our self-interests to provoke a shooting war so we're working off the pressure by engaging in covert activities against one another.

So in reality, we're already engaged in a multi-level (diplomatic, economic, intelligence and military) struggle for supremacy and have no need to take it ot the next level, open warfare.

All the talk from Iran of a potential US invasion is just propaganda designed to strengthen the regime's position internally. All the talk of a US invasion from the US is just propaganda from Bush-haters trying to paint Bush & Company as dangerous, gun-loving, religiously bigots and international aggressors in search of corporate profits. All the talk of US invasion from other countries is just folks trying to paint the US in a bad light in order to make the US seem dangerous for vairous reasons of their own.

We're not going to invade Iran. Duh.

Dr.Ettefagh,who is lost cluelessly and where,let the readers scrutinize it on your scale of ten.The Clerics of Tehran's first unforgiveable crime was to seize the American Embassy and its staff and subject them as hostage for a long time to violate the UN's charter of demand and as well demolish the principles of true Islamic norms which are based of unharming even the birds and holding any soul by force against his/her wish.The Mullahs of Tehran are singing the bright slogans of justice and Islam but buying or purchasing a woman for a definite period as wife, which in their law called" siegha " is totally a prostitution and against the commen Islamic law.Will the Author by any means has protested so far about Ahmadi Nejad's statement of wiping out of the Jews, as the Islamic holy book says that "You Hath your religion and I have Mine" and it might be possible that Khmaini,Khmenai and Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad have another holy Kor'an rather than the one landed on earth by the AL-MIGHTY.How Mahmod Ahmadi Nejad utter such words against the generation of David, Josef, Moshe and Jacoub which of them we are reading in our five and six time daily prayers and respecting and considering them as our prophets? The Clerics in Tehran do not respect the value of humanity and is involved in the worst crime against the Iranian citizens in Balochistan and Kurdistan, where the fingers, wrists and toas of the Baloch and Kurds are being amputated in the prisons of the cities and towns of BALOCHISTAN and KURDISTAN. And if Dr Ettefagh is Really looking for the Lost Rambo then he can find it very easily in his own locations,while the Rambo in Kabul is assisting the People of Afghanistan to set their house in Order as he did it in Bosenia and Kosovo. ( SIR )

With comments such as those by Mr. FEDUP, does anyone really wonder why the Iranians may want a nuclear weapon?

You have a belligerent US administration surrounding its borders basically from all sides and threatening it every day with violence. And you have a small minority within the US who are loud and uninformed threatening to "nuke Iran back to the stone age".

What would you do if another powerful nation had its warships thousands of miles away from its homebase and weapons miles off of your borders and stated publicly that "we will crush you"?

Oh that's right, we had that happen and Kennedy didn't back down. That's all the Iranians are doing right now. They will not back down from an aggressor in its backyard.

What?

Here I go again TT:

The US has legitimate security interests in the Persian Gulf. In the 1980’s Persian Gulf states allied with the US were being threatened by Iran and were having “missiles tossed at” ships carrying their exports. The US Navy was present in Persian Gulf waters to prevent that.

Secondly, “the story about flow of oil” is not rubbish. If Iran were to seize the oil production facilities of its smaller neighbors then the flow of oil would be disrupted for some time. This would have devastating effects on the global economy. If Iran were to then (as you suggest) return conquered oil fields to full production, it would then possess a stranglehold on the world economy and the ability to disrupt the world economy at any time and for any reason. This would create a situation even more threatening to US security and the economic well-being of billions of people around the world - hence the presence of US warships.

Also, I might point out that there are currently US warships off the coast of China protecting the economic freedom of our Taiwanese, Japanese and South Korean allies from potential Chinese aggression. This is in fact very similar to the situation in the Persian Gulf. Thank you for pointing that out.

Finally, I don’t think that there is a connection between WWII aggression by Axis powers and the Iranian aggression of the 1980’s. The Axis committed their crimes of aggression for economic and ideological reasons that no longer exist. The Iranians committed their crimes of aggression in response to aggression by the Baathist regime of Iraq which - thanks to the policies of the 2 Bush Presidents - also no longer exists.

I've had enough of Iran thumbing it's nose at us ... 30 years now. I'm not willing to wait to see whether they do or don't make a nuke ... my bet is they will or they will sell the uranium to someone that will.

Waste the entire lot of them and the sooner the better. On going precision air strikes no ground troops ... just bomb them to their "virgins" ... they are far from being civilized so no loss to the rest of the world.

"Faramarz
"Mr. Ahmadinejad has not, to the best of my knowledge and I listen to him regularly, said the Holocaust did not happen. He has asked the world frequently to find out why it happened.
He most certainly has never said he would like to finish the job as you suggested here. However, he has consistently said a population based on the greatest injustice done to the human kind are doomed. I am afraid the history is on his side on this one."

OK, I stand corrected.
Iran attacks Israel through its proxies.

All Iran (and other Arab/Muslim countries) has said is that Israel should be wiped off the map of the earth; that the Jews are a pestiulance, a virus, and must be destroyed; compares the Jews/Zionists to monkeys, dogs, and pigs; don't show Israel on their maps; publish the Protocols as current fact; and question the extent of and/or the existance of the Holocaust; even while making their own countries Juden Frie.

Had the Arabs/Muslims accepted the 1947 partition plan for one (more) Arab state and one Jewish state, maybe we would be having a dual 60 year celebration instead of a continued hatefest against the Jews and against Israel.

One of the afflictions when it comes to very powerful societies is that they are also very paranoid.

Every thing others do --- if such a powerful society is not part of or if it thinks they [those others] are doing it to upset its mighty standing --- can be used as trigger points for such a powerful society to launch military and economic activities in the name of preserving civilization, ad nauseam.

The problem is not only that America is too powerful, with respect to any and all other nations. It is also that you have people who love guns and violence being at the very top. They come from a certain religious background where, not unlike many so-called fanatic Moslems, killing the evil enemies is sanctioned by their god. Blessed by it, in fact.

People who love guns and other weapons, "for personal protection" --- and have little qualms in using such weapons, taking laws into their own hands --- are also people who, at the top of the political structure, love to use the military to achieve political, economic, and hegemonic ends.

Of course, they will use blown horns and scream loud and long, to the world, THEY are the most loving, friendly, non-violent, democratic --- THEY ONLY DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO to self-preservate.

In the history of America, there's been only ONE TIME that another country truly threatened its well being: during George Washington's days, when the British threatened, very seriously, to keep America under King George's boots.

All these present day screaming about Iran, Iraq, Al Qaida, Lybia, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Hugo Chevez, and Castro taking over America, dominating it.... they are just idiotic screams of gun loving religious-affiliated nuts who dressed in $10,000 suits.

@ZZIM
Here you go again......
First of all, what right does USA have to be in the Persian Gulf, exactly halfway around the world from the U.S. West Coast and 9 time zones away from the East Coast? Iran was protecting its own interests, off its own coast. If Kuwait (Iraq's 19th province!) was supporting Saddam in a war against Iran, then it deserved to have missiles tossed at its ships. (And Justice was finally served when they got attacked by Iraq.)

Secondly, the story about flow of oil is simply rubbish. It is an old, stupid idea. Oil producers in the Middle East (and Russia and Far East and Africa and Mexico) want to sell their oil. That is their business. They sell oil and buy things.....and so long as America is the biggest consumer of it (as 25% of all oil in the world is consumed in USA), then there is no need for naval or other military forces. How come there are no U.S. navy ships off the coast of China to harrass China on the excuse that they are there to assure America of steady & cheap supplies for Wal-Mart?

Finally, bad blood and history are tied together. Americans are still talking about Jews and WWII crimes of 68 years ago, but don't want to talk about their OWN crimes of less than 20 years ago? That is strange and as the article above states, cannot be measured with logic.

Admire the humor. Unfortunately, people who are ignorant don't "get" humor, but actually it's the only way to treat present circumstances and stay sane. Ergo, practically everyone except thee and me is insane ... and sometimes even thee . . .?

The most realistic article I have read in recent time.

The most realistic article I have read in recent time.

Iran is an enemy as long as the current Iranian president continues to hold office, spew his hateful rhetoric and pursue nuclear weapons. Like everyone says about the US, "it's not the prople it's the government and their policies."

Nice snide remark TT. My point was not that the accident was not bad, I was saying that you are bringing in an unrelated incident from a number of years ago and implying that it may possibly be relevant to the current administration's policies toward Iran. Perhaps I should have been more clear for the slower members of the group.

Robert, perhaps you should see that at the time of the accident Iran was shooting ships in the Gulf with air-to-air missiles. The US Navy wouldn’t have been in a position to shoot at any airplanes if the Iranians had not been shooting missiles at oil tankers in order to intimidate small countries like Kuwait.

The US is not the aggressor in the Gulf. We just want the countries there to live peacefully with one another so as not to disrupt the flow of oil. A serious disruption in the flow of oil would devastate the world economy. We aim to prevent that. This is a legitimate self-interest and also serves the self-interests of all the non-Iranian Gulf states and it serves the interests of every country in the world dependant on imported oil.

PS - I’m not a Naval Radar Technician so I’m not going to second-guess what went wrong. I’m guessing that neither one of you is either and that neither one of you have access to the classified documents regarding the investigation into how the mistake occurred. So I have to assume that you are both biased and WANT to believe skullduggery was involved so you assume the alleged mistake was IMPOSSIBLE to make so there fore it MUST have been an intentional act on the part of the US Navy. Whatever. I hear the Pope had JFK shot, too. And Charlie Manson was an agent of the Kremlin trying to destabilize the US for an invasion from Cuba.

PPS - I can be snide too. It's a guilty pleasure.

ZZIM should do some research and he will see that shooting down the Iranian civilian plane was not a simple accident.

It was determined by Iranian and later US investigators that the US warship was in official Iranian waters, not outside as the administration first claimed.

Secondly, even a novice would have known that the speed of the civilian airplane and the fact that it was ascending and away from the US warship, made it a harmless civilian plane.

Instead our government went into propaganda mode and falsly claimed that the plane was descending at a high speed and approaching the US ship.

Facts proved otherwise. And I ask, who are the real aggressors and beligerents in the middle east.

Lets talk about how criminal the Iranian regime is towards its own citizens. But lets not lie with a straight face regarding who is a bigger threat in that region.

@ZZIM
So just because killing of people happened under a different U.S. administration makes it OK, especially when it was shooting down a civilian airliner? You MUST be joking....

Congratulations to the Washington Post for giving a forum to Iranian propagandists both in the article and in the comments.

Hey TT, perhaps you are unaware that the accident you are referring to took place a number of years ago under a different US administration. The Iranians had created a climate of aggression in the Gulf at the time by shooting a number of passing ships with air-to-ship missiles.

It was a tragic accident, nothing more.

Unfortunately, when rogue regimes like Iran conduct violent attacks in areas filled with civilian traffic (and mostly directed at that same civilian traffic), such tragedies are extremely likely ot occur. If Iran hadn't been shooting missiles at passing ships in international waters than passing ships in international waters probalby wouldn't have been shooting back.

The tragedy was Iran's fault.

@ZZIM

USA shot down a civilian passenger Airbus on a routine flight from Dubai. That was clear hostile intent. Iranians never forget that one, and the stupid "excuse" of a mistake was even a worse insult. If a commander cannot operate a billion Dollar "state of the art" radar, then he should not be sent to open seas. And if the commander made a "mistake", how come he got a medal? See.....no good will can come out from America.

Dear Mr. Ettefagh,

I have yet to hear a more concise, cogent and bitingly entertaining assessment of recent US Iranian relations. I am curious to know what your feelings are towards the current regime in Iran might be. I can't help but feel that the American and Iranian people are trapped between the two governments that are currently run by groups of dangerous ideologues who, although differing in ideologies, have essentially the same approach to solving foreign policy problems and who use conflict as a way to maintain power. Your thoughts? Thanks for your commentary.

Oh, and the odds of war between us and Iran are zero. We're not going to invade them and they can't invade us.

We're also not going to invade Cuba or Venezuala or Burma or North Korea or any other tin-pot dicatorial regime any time soon. For all of these countries, preparation for a US invasion is a pillar of the regime propaganda to maintain internal support, suppress dissidents and gain the support of "useful idiots" from Europe and the US.

Duh.

And Charlie Manson won't get parole either.

Memo to Iranian Regime Mouthpiece: Then stop pretending you're tough enough to be our enemy. Khadafi saw the light. Now Korea has seen the light too. Admitting we're not your enemy and knocking off the belligerent posturing would benefit you a lot and not hurt anything but your bloated sense of self-importance.

Bravo! Well said.

Those Yanks must be reminded of the recent comment of an Iranian commander and take it seriously: 300,000 graves are ready at Iranian borders for any one that dares to attack Iran!

And if the Israelis are behind this, my point is simple: Remember Lebanon 2 years ago, where you lost your flagship in your navy, lost 72 tanks and your military air traffic control, plus the reported fact (in the Knesset investigation) that the Israeli military intelligence was infiltrated by Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Bring 'em on, if you must!

In short, stuff happens, a la Rumsfeld. And a child with a big gun is a curse for its parents and their neighbors.

I'd bet the probability is 1:1001. I used to read the Arabian nights when I was a child. The moral here is you have the power to kill and destroy, but the meaning of life isn't about that. "The United States has overstepped its national borders in every way" but without justice and order they can't not rule. Thus the "New American Century" is already a failure in the making.

That's why now Israel is supposed to do their work. Let's see if they have the "courage" to cook their own signature in their book again, I mean the supposed bankers, you know.

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/17153,features,world-leaders-episode-4-most-shit-story

Are there any other nations that the US feels entitled to bomb?

The one thing I expect from the US is the most questionable and unintelligent explanation for bombing Iran?

Of course, those in favour of a war blame Iran. If the bombing takes place it will because America is ruled by nutty and violent people. Do not look to Iran as being responsible for your actions just look at your violent and vindictive selves.

Apart from Israel, are there any other nations who feel compelled to bomb Iran?

America is dangerous, violent and crazy. It elected Bush twice and it invaded Iraq on grounds that have now been dismissed as having no validity. The US has destabilised the region and Iraq and its big concern is the cost of the war and the number of American lives that have been lost. I do not hear Americans saying that the war has turned Iraq into a failed state or that the invasion caused millions of Iraqis to flee into Jordan and Syria.

America thinks with a violent and unquestioning mind and it blames others for its own failings.

America it is time that you grew up and became a peaceful nation. You seem to need someone to hate. When Bush demonises Iran and tells you that it is dangerous because it wants to have nukes just remember that you have thousands of them. When the world wants to ban the production of landmines the US says NO NO NO.

I say you are violent, dangerous and crazy.

Israel is using American influence and power to achieve it's goal! U.S will be a loser in the long run due to it‘s double standard action toward other countries!
Us is losing it’s own interest in the Middle East and other part of the world
How long Israel will hide behind U.S , not long

Bravo Dr. Ettefagh can't be said better

Bravo Dr. Ettefagh can be said better

couldn't Mr Ettefagh have used a plainer

language, did he really have to use all this

pompous non-sense. As far as whether or not

Iran is an enemey, i can tell you that this is

something that depends on other things in

politics, saudi for example is a so-called ally

, and it is sometimes, but there has been times

where saudi citizens have been responsible for

the biggest terrorist attacks against America.

IN THE WORLD OF POLITICS THERE'S NO PERMANENT

ALLIES OR ENEMIES.

Ali,
Thanks for the pro Iran, pro terrorist, pro Holocaust denying, 8th century barbarian point of view. We need more people in the press pushing your point of view.

There is a certain individual here with assuming false identity and title that the readers should be more cautious not to compromise themselves by acknowledging him.

Dr. Ettefagh speaks Persian (Farsi), English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Turkish, and watches too many silly Hollywood movies.

Erock, I'm with you, pal; hundred percent. Yer darn tootin' you go the right to say what you want. The point is that you are saying one thing, while doing the opposite. I mean, I have the right to tell my neighbors to respect my property rights. But if I want to actually have my property rights respected, I don't achieve that by daring my neighbor's teenage son to egg my house back into the stone-age.

With rights comes responsibility. Lesson numero uno, good buddy: figure out what you want to achieve before you open your mouth. 10-4 and out!

EROCK: "if you dont like what opinions people have, then spare us yours . . ."

Allow someone with a 4th grade education to translate:

"if you DO like what opinions people have, then do NOT spare use yours".

Well. That is exactly what Robert has done.

Care to try again?

GOOD ONE BIILY BOB, BUT I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY WHAT I WANT. SO JOIN ROBERT AND YOU BOTH CAN GO TO IRAN.

GOOD ONE BIILY BOB, BUT I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY WHAT I WANT. SO JOIN ROBERT AND YOU BOTH CAN GO TO IRAN.

Hey Erock good-buddy,

Even if you are right (and I doubt anyone within 2-3 galaxies would believe that) you are simply not convincing anyone here. In fact, your probably doing nothing more than convincing the people who are on the fence that your a nut-case. Assuming you are not (goin' out on a limb here, pal), doesn't your rhetorical strategy seem, well, kinda self-defeating? I mean, if you want to drive readers into the arms of those who you consider "the enemy", then just keep it up. Otherwise, what exactly are attempting to accomplish?

Just my two-cents. American. Patriot. And I don't keep my brain in a jar behind the mayo.

Another Iranian regime apologist given platform on Washington Post website?

Robert- thank you for that beautiful essay on Iran, now after you're done sucking off Iran's pull the other one out of your and if you dont like what opinions people have, then spare us yours and save tehm for a lifetime speical. because no one cares about Irans history except for Iran. i care about my country and our history. i agree things couldnt be more screwed up because of Bush, just glad he will be out in a few months. i think Obama has the is the most level headed man for the job. all i can say to Iran's president is keep it up, and if you are behinf killing our soldiers in Iraq then start practicing builind houses with stones. peace fools - EROCK THE ULITMATE AMERICAN.

Thanks for posting, Robert.

One correction. Actually, no one knows how women who inhabited the central North American continent were treated 3,000 years ago. If history and the rest of the world is any indicator, it probably was not a paradise.

You are correct to observe that women in Iran have achieved levels of power that rival and, in fact, in some respects out-pace their counterparts in the U.S.

While mere statistics are no guaranteed measure of progress, readers are encourage to go here:

http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/arc/classif300906.htm

for a breakdown of the percentage of women in national parliaments in 2006. You will see that in terms of percentages, the U.S. is 67th in the world--just ahead of such democratic beacons as Angola and Sudan. Iran ranks 124th.

Very very interesting, really appreciable. Thanks a lot Ali Ettefagh.

Hey Ali,

So lemme get this straight. Because injustice is allegedly rampant in Iran, therefore the U.S. gov't is entitled to violate its own laws and international treaties for purposes of enkindling a conflict with Iran. Moreover, if I point out that the U.S. gov't is enkindling such a conflict, then that somehow makes me an apologist for the injustice you allege.

umm . . . uh . . . yeah, right.

Let me start by saying that I am no fan of the mullah regime in Iran. Having said that, I don't see any reason why our American administration keeps making threats against another nation that has not invaded another country in centuries and where their interests align with ours.

Additionally, I want to commend all of the others here who share their views respectfully, except for EROCK.

People like EROCK here truly show their ignorance and lack of education. Iran today is a more prosperous nation than a majority of other countries in the world.

Images of a prosperous and affluent nation such as Iran are kept at a minimum here in the US, so that people here do not see the face of the "enemy". You would be surprised much they look and act like every other respectful citizen of this world.

You would be surprised to see the high rise condos and office buildings and the style and personalities of a modern nation.

Lastly, Iran unlike Saudi Arabia and other strict Islamic nations does not force women to wear face-masks. In fact none do. They were veils and head-scarfs. Women in Iran are doctors, politicians, lawyers, firemen, etc. In fact, one was a Vice President. US can not say the same.

Enrollment at Universities comprise of 60% women in Iran. Literacy and education is at quite a high level and surging, whereas unfortunately in our country it is on the decline.

Read your history and find out what accomplishments in all fields the Persians have contributed to society dating back to 3,000 years ago, when we here in the US where living in caves and beating our women.

Was it not the Persians who sacrificed their lives to save the Jews out of bandage during the conquest of Babylon? and now Israel wishes Iran's destruction.
Watch out American, history will repeat.

Oy :
I suggest you do your own research with the help of an Iranian Farsi speaking Jew by listening to the Presidents speeches to interpret him correctly. And only then you learn first hand what a corrupt entity the American press are.
Mr. Ahmadinejad has not, to the best of my knowledge and I listen to him regularly, said the Holocaust did not happen. He has asked the world frequently to find out why it happened.
He most certainly has never said he would like to finish the job as you suggested here. However, he has consistently said a population based on the greatest injustice done to the human kind are doomed. I am afraid the history is on his side on this one.
Further, I am not here to offend anyone but only a naive individual, not knowing adequately about the Iranian military capabilities and more importantly the Iranian resolves in defending the greatest piece of real estate on this planet, would share the same false mental thoughts as yours and fantasies about an Israeli attack on Iranian soil.
Israel might be able to attack Iran with limitted success only if they are able to disable the Iranian communications and radar systems.
Notwithstanding the above, They, unlike you, have given lots of thoughts and considerations about the consequences of such an action and the results are depriving them of their nightly sleeps. May I just quote the recent remark by the Iranian defense minister when he said Israel is no match for Iran. I sincerely believe this to the same extent as the ones in Tel Aviv.

Finally but not lastly, While I am inclined to believe Ali is an Iranian, one who might have been born in Iran and is either overseas or even resideing in Iran currently, I just would like to emphasize that it does not take one who was born in Iran or holds a Brown cover passport to be called Iranian. The qualifications are far more rigid. Only the cowards in the comfort of internet or being overseas will criticise the Iranian gov. I was in their club for the first Twenty Five years of the last Thirty Five years I have been overseas and I might be less happier about the Iranian gov than Ali is but I will voice my thoughts in Iran publicly rather than being a coward. And speaking about the cowards I can only imagine one like you to be complimenting them.
Be well but fair too please.

FaramarzFathi@aol.com

Well written, I wonder where Dick fits in the Batman story.The joker,perhaps?

As long as you have people like Bush and Cheny in office and organizations like AIPAC in charge and
apartheid regime of Israel as your friend,, you don't need any external enemy. I think they are more than enough for destruction of US. I hope McCain will be the next president and will bring the US to her knees.

Today, Dr. Ali Ettefagh, we are going to study ESL adverbs and adjectives.... Begin!

"...neo-Batman pseudo-Imperialist – essentially a comic, cartoonish substance mixed with a silly phantasm of hallucinated bursts and a juvenile vigor in a mutinous breakdown of the legal system."

Excellent! Continue...

"U.S.’s evergreen, hostile intentions against Iran." Yes.

"American credibility is lavishly shattered" Yes!

"parts of the multi-layered hyper-charade, a vapid sigh of frustration and a summary dismissal of goodwill." SUPERB! Khayli khub!!!

Baghdad Bob would be a rather chartreuse palor of ravenous envy denoting an absurdist perspective of nihilist overtones, if I may say so.

Thank you first poster Ali!

A survivor of the Holocaust; which the leadership of Iran says didn't happen on the one hand, and that says it wants to "finish the job" on the other hand; said you should take seriously the words of a man who says he wants to kill you.

Having expended more time and political capital needlessly to get the Iranians off the nuclear track, and to protect not only Israel but the whole mid-East, Israel will bomb the nuke facilities before the end of the year.

And for those who continue to take pages out of the Protocols, and from the Nazi and Arab playbooks, just stop. All your lies have been around a long time, they're clearly not true, and they're not dealing with real issues and solutions.

Persian women are beautiful and Iran/Persia has not started a war in 300 years. How can the West possibly be threatened by such a beautiful nation?

No matter how logical you write an article there are always Juvenal delinquents who bitch. Kids who write graffiti on their school halls write graffiti as comments in response to a well written piece of literature.
I too give the author a perfect 10.

wow how true... finaly someone who actualy knows what he's talking about. But i don't know where some people that commented got their facts from. Vive la Révolution, got bless the Republic.

wow how true... finaly someone who actualy knows what he's talking about. But i don't know where some people that commented got their facts from. Vive la Révolution, got bless the Republic.

I don't care what happens to Iran or to the people in the gulf. I don't care about the price of oil or how much the war against Iran would cost for the Americans. As long as Israel is not harmed that is fine with me.

you forgot about all the deceitful lies Iran has made about trying to make nuclear weapons. remember we wont let that happen, if it means blowing your country back to the stone age, which your ways are not that far from now anyway. you might make jokes about our elderly people by being retired but i'm sure they earned it. don't be throwing stones from a glass house. whats Irans unemployment rate? 50% ? go back to your cave. go ahead and poke fun at our movies and stars, what do guys have? how we beat our women, and make them wear masks.

After thousands of years, I see a pattern. Arabs and Jews are simply unable to live in peace with each other. That said, why should the rest of the World care if these two tribal and contentious groups kill each other off to the last man, woman and child?

As long as the jews are in control of the American government and economy, dictating the USA's foreign policy, Iran will be seen as our enemy.

First the zionists spun the reasons for 9/11 on Al Qaeda's envy of "our freedoms," then the jews engineered the attack on Iraq, and now they are working to have other fight their war against Iran. As a world leader once commented, "the jews rule the world and get others to fight and die for them by proxy."

Very true words indeed.

George Manuelian
Atherton, CA

We are being presented with a FALSE DILEMMA in dealing with Iran, according to which the only options are to sanction/bomb Iran, or else Iranian nukes will come raining down on us.

This is not true.

Iran has repeatedly submitted peace offers and nuclear compromise suggestions, which were endorsed by American and international experts as a viable solution to any real rather than trumped-up fears of nuclear weapons proliferation - only to have these peaceful solutions dismissed and ignored by the Bush administration.

Why? Obviously because the nuclear issue is a pretext that is being used to justify another policy. The Israelis in particular are not happy at the prospects of a US-Iran peace, which would come at a cost to their regional ambitions and strategic value. If the US and Iran got along, wo needs Israel? And THAT is the real threat from Iran. The only question is whether Amerian politicians will continue to pander to the pro-Israeli lobby by sabre-rattling at Iran even if harms broader US interests in the Mideat.

I don't know how you managed to put these words together. They are all so very true and so well written. On the scale of 1 to 10 you get a perfect 10.

you don't spend 400 million and don't expect a return? What kind of war investor do you think the US military is?

I don't know how you managed to put these words together. They are all so true and so well written.

It could not have been said any better.
Iranians could be the best friends for USA if only if the war mongers in the government allowed.

Interesting and true!

Chances are people like Chalabi of Iraq are ripping off USA and telling them that they are working inside Iran. Kurds, Arabs in the south are doing a brisk business via Iran into Iraq, so they don't want that to be closed...but they will take America's money to keep them amused!

On the Pakistani-Baluchi border, they are all drug smugglers. Turks have have 500 year history of peaceful co-existence with Iran and northern neighbours are not going to risk Iran's wrath by hosting rebels. So, once again, Americans are stuck with their own bad ideas.....

This is great stuff. I love the Iranian people. Negotiations are key to a successful loving and open relationship with Iran and it's current regime. Ahmedeenajad has made attempts to open dialog with President Bush and his administration. He even wrote them a letter and sent invitations.

There is always the hidden agendas, and as with the Iraq war and it's claim of producing chemical and biological weapons had produced nothing, the region remains unstable, and the "Coalition Forces" and making sure that oil corporations (haliburton) are getting their ripe share of the pillaged oil. Bush and Cheney made a ton of money so far off of this

The weapons of mass destruction were the perfect scape goat for Iraq, so the Nuclear Weapons for Iran will follow the same suit. America just wants the oil and the revenue generated from it.

on the scale of one to ten Islamic Republic is getting a perfect 10 for humane rights violation
over its 30 years of existance, has been number one in assasination , disappearance of opponents , mass execution of political prisoners, rape and murder of young girls acused of being belong to Bahai faith by piuos revelosionary guard and Basij millitia forces, imprisoning opponent and turturing them to get confesion for broacasting on Islamic Republic TV , 30% unemployment , 8 million drug addicts ,
hundreds of thousand homeless kids and teenagers
on the streets of Tehran , 50% of population living under the poverty line , and Mullas getting richer by day , Rafsanjani buying more properties abroad , $400m may be only 30hrs of the oil income , but could brake the gate of theat big prison,