[mkjessup]

I am skeptical words and threats will do much to sway them. Guess we'll have to speak softly and carry a big stick. Anyway, how does threat of nuclear retaliation work against ideologues who believe dying after mass murdering others (jihad "martyr") gets them straight to heaven?

The threat of nuclear retaliation works like this:

From the country music hit "Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox"

Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die...
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, But I don't wanna go tonite

The key is (all humor aside now), is that while Muslims may aspire to one day head for paradise and/or martyrdom, Allah, the all-you-can-eat buffet and the 72 virgin Helen Thomas-like servants, MANY (if not MOST) of them do NOT want to go TOMORROW, or the next day, or even the next day after that.

They want to continue to live, just like any human being does, regardless of what sort of religious-cult programming has taken place.

That's my take on it anyway.

[Mount Athos]

I think that's true of the general populace, but Iran is ruled by a theocracy. The ones deciding to attack, the ones funding the terrorists and nukes, are the true believers.