The possibility of an Israeli attack against Iran is always “five,” no matter the circumstances. An existential fear about the fate of their nation seems to be embedded in the Israeli psyche. Our dear president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows this and drives Israelis’ meshuggah by continually talking about two things that Israelis feel most strongly about: the Jewish Holocaust and the existence of Israel. Of course it doesn't help that Iran is developing its nuclear technology "for peaceful purposes."

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The next American president’s favorite rogue leader will most probably remain Iran's colorful Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Less than a year before the next Iranian elections in June 2009, Ahmadinejad has no serious challengers for his post who might steal his momentum.

Like any leader, Ahmadinejad's popularity has been fluctuating since he became president in June 2005. Many Iranians are fed up with high prices, both a result of rising food prices around the world and the government’s mismanagement of economy. But even with oil prices at over $140 a barrel, he has managed to provide the minimum necessary to his core supporters, mainly poor Iranians used to living on the very minimum. Since becoming president, he has toured the country and visited parts of Iran that no other president had ever visited before. He has made promises during those trips to improve people’s lives, and in some cases he has actually delivered. Ahmadinejad also has all the attributes that Iranians like to see in their leaders: he has the guts to stand up to world powers, he has the ability to communicate with ordinary Iranians in their own lingo, and no one can accuse him of financial corruption.

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