[rodguy911]

I read this last night and it only made things more confusing for me. If the Iranians want to avoid sanctions why kidnap the Britts,it leaves you wondering what the hell they actually want and it looks like a response from us.
There was one argument broached at the strata link that inferred that they were running out of suicide bombers and if we attacked in any manner it might get them more volunteers but what convoluted logic,confusing at best.

I thinkMNJ has the best solution, you can' ignore an action like that.

[saveliberty]

I think a little differently. The sanctions were going to be imposed, so he has less to risk by kidnapping the British.

I am just on the outside, but having read what's been going on inside Iran and Iraq, I am convinced that this is an effort either to divert our attention from being hard@$$es in Iraq when it comes to finding Iranian military or diplomatic personnel or to create an embarrassment to create pressure to get us to back off.

He ridiculed the UN. He ridiculed diplomacy. He then launched a diplomatic charm initiative that turned the left on his side (recall the luv-notz from DU).

Years ago, there was a play from a Swiss playwright, Max Frisch, Biedermann und die Brandstifter (1953) (translations, The Firebugs (US)/The Fire Raisers (UK)). Basically this ordinary guy befriends someone who is openly going to commit arson, but the ordinary guy can't bring himself to challenge the arsonist and even goes out of his way to help him. Frisch had the terrorists pegged.

[altura]

The leadership of Iran is insane. That's one explanation.

[mtnwmn]

"I read this last night and it only made things more confusing for me. If the Iranians want to avoid sanctions why kidnap the Britts,it leaves you wondering what the hell they actually want and it looks like a response from us."

If Ayatollah Khamenei ordered the captures with Ahmadinejad's knowledge, could be that the Ayatollah wants us to do his dirty work. But what do I know???!!!