[Cornpone]

Ping...

[My2Cents]

the country is on a collision course with the United States over its controversial nuclear program

I'm putting my money on the US.

[Thud]

ping

[cripplecreek]

the country is on a collision course with the United States

There are a whole boatload of other nations that are damned nervous about Iran but if they keep putting us up as the example we can take the blame for all.

[Argus]

likely to change the Islamic Republic beyond recognition in the years ahead.

It will be that glowing hole in the ground where Iran used to be.

[Fred Nerks]

Take a good look at this map - the arabs in Khuzestan (where the majority of the oil fields and refineries are) are more closely aligned to Iraq than Iran. The Neandertal 'leader' of Iran needs to be watching his back. Iran can't afford to lose this territory. The mullah's are more likely to 'lose' him than the livelyhood of the entire nation, IMO.

[marron]

That said, there has been no let-up in the populist rhetoric and sloganeering that marked his election campaign....

Populist rhetoric usually does not lead to any increase in liberty, usually it means exactly the opposite. More centralized control. Consequently, it usually means even more economic stagnation.

Lack of progress on the economic and social-justice front notwithstanding...

OK. No surprise there.

...Ahmadinejad has introduced massive changes to the face and operations of the executive branch.

Ah, here it comes...

Virtually all provincial governors have been replaced by Ahmadinejad loyalists, who tend to be young and hail from the Islamic Republic's security establishment, in particular the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps

Exactly. We are talking about Nazis.

This military-ideological background is accentuated by a strong sense of Iranian nationalism and Shi'ite supremacism.

Exactly. Nazis.

A US assault on Iran would run the very real risk of enabling al-Qaeda to gain a foothold in the country.

This is funny. Bin Ladin's family is in Iran, as is most likely Bin Ladin himself. Hekmatyar is in Iran. Iran has sent thousands of agents and fighters into Iraq and is our biggest threat there. Ahmadinejad is from the movement that threatened to sweep all the way into Mecca; they were the reason the Saudis funded Saddam all those years. Ahmadinejad makes Saddam look like a statesman.

[Steveone]

"As the Iranian revolution enters its 28th year this month, the Islamic Republic stands at the most critical stage of its history"

Yes and at this rate there will not be a 29th !!!!!!

[diverteach]

"military confrontation between Iran and the United States within two years. "

TWO YEARS! I sure hope it's more like 2 months.