[kabar]

Most of them are waiting with baited-breath for the 12th Imam... the rest are actively bringing about his return. What you're dealing with is potentially far more dangerous than Nazi-Germany or Imperial Japan. The conquest of western civilization was their goal... not its elimination. We're facing a world-wide religion that's morphed into a 5th century death-cult.

I lived in Tehran for two years, including during the period of the downfall the Shah and the hijacking of the Iranian Revolution by Khomeini. You couldn't be more wrong.

The mullahs are interested in power, money, and survival. They don't have a death wish or advocate national suicide. The Iranians want nuclear weapons as an insurance policy against any future US involvement in Iran and to use it as leverage to increase their influence in the region. Overt and first use of nuclear weapons by the Iranians would result in the total destruction of the country, i.e., national suicide. It just isn't going to happen.

The danger of nuclear weapons in the hands of the Iranians is that they will give them to non-state actors and do it in such a way that it can't be traced directly back to them, thus trying to avoid any retaliation. That is the real threat and possible miscalculation. We need to abuse them of any such notion.

[johnny7]

So you don't believe there's a possibility they've 'evolved' since... 1979?

[rodguy911]

Was a former terrorist President in Iran when you lived there? Don't you think that radically changes the equation?

[MNJohnnie]

"We need to abuse them..."

Oh yeah! I am all for Mullah abuse. :-)

That is the real threat and possible miscalculation

Yep that is the real threat. That some one there will get cutsey. They need to be made painfully aware that that is not a line they can cross.