[Southack]

It's strikingly odd that Iran is baiting the UK/U.S. to attack while wartime leaders Blair and Bush are still in Office.

Clearly the smart play by Iran would be to wait out Bush/Blair, wait until they have nukes in hand, and to *then* puff out their chests.

It makes no sense that Iran is being so provocative prior to having a nuke, much less while Bush/Blair have less than 2 years remaining in Office.

Very odd.

[elfman2]

Not so odd if they want oil prices up NOW.

[Eagles6]

"It makes no sense that Iran is being so provocative prior to having a nuke, much less while Bush/Blair have less than 2 years remaining in Office."

I'm not so sure about them not having a nuke. The quandry is that rationality and islam are mutually exclusive.

[jdm]

What is being said now:

...the incident appeared to be the result of a “misunderstanding” which could be quickly resolved.

Something tells me this won't result in an all-out war.

[JasonC]

Every time they humiliate the west a little more and get away with it, the oil price rises $2-3 a barrel, they get paid, Ahmadinejad's stock goes up with the activists and the weaker willed mullahs lose a little more power within Iran.

They really don't worry the slightest bitty little bit that we will actually do something. It is called contempt.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Very odd.<<<

Not really. "Twelvers" act that way. Ahmadinejad and his Rev. Guards are "twelvers".

[RunningWolf]

Maybe they have the nuke, or a few of them.

[oldbrowser]

It makes no sense that Iran is being so provocative prior to having a nuke, much less while Bush/Blair have less than 2 years remaining in Office.

Very odd.

Makes you wonder what their trump card is.

a. a nuke

b. assurances of support from China or Russia

c. Economic power of oil

d. Religious stupidity

e. Back channel meetings with Ted Kennedy or maybe Soros

[DEEP_e]

"Clearly the smart play..."

I don't think "smart" factors into their actions in this instance at all. They have plenty in common with their western leftist enablers:

They are both driven by an illogical, irrational pseudo-passion, believe chaos precedes "revolution", and therefore must need be. Amadnutjob is begging for the return of the mahdi, but knows he will not unless chaos is widespread and the rule. The leftists revel in chaos and injustice with glee and are therefore suitable partners and allies.

[Gondring]

Who says they are baiting the UK? W ho says the UK wasn't pushing things? Seems to me that Blair/Bush would be wise to push the envelope, making the Iranians have to decide how far to give before reacting. In fact, it seems irresponsible if we *aren't* trying to provoke a response!

[Pro-Bush]

I see it differently, a crisis/invasion needs to happen before the Mahdi appears to lead the shia to victory against the kaffir aggressors.

[Allegra]

It's strikingly odd that Iran is baiting the UK/U.S. to attack while wartime leaders Blair and Bush are still in Office.

And the fact that Iran is surrounded by U.S. forces on pretty much all of its flanks...

Ahmadinejad is certifiable.

[spetznaz]

Personally I think the reason Ahmadenijad is baiting (and he is baiting) the US/UK is to do what you said ....provoke an attack. Why would he want to do that? Well, the Iranian youth have been becoming more and more pro-west, and this is something that has worried both the religious and conservative sections of Iran. Now, how do you get the youth back? Simple: Provoke an attack by an external power (perferably America and Israel, but apparently the UK will do just as fine). War is never sterile, and thus while we may target the people responsible it is inevitable that we will also hit non-targets (or the Iranian forces can 'help us' out by bombing a school or apartment block and claiming it was American ordinance that did that).

Result: A repeat of the 79 revolution. The Iranian youth is delivered to the Clerics and Conservatives on a silver platter. For another generation Iran is firmly in the control of the various clerics and political demagogues running that country.

The sad thing is that the way things are going we may really have no option but to hit Iran. That will play into the hands of Mad Ahmad, but we really may have no other choice. Those guys are pushing things too far.

Anyways, that is what I think Mad Ahmad is trying to do. Goad the West into attacking, and by doing so crystallize his grip on the future of Iran(well, not really his, but that of the true powers in Iran).

To do so he has to ensure that we (or a major Western power ....by the way, even France would do ....) attack them. And the way he is doing things he may just get his wish.

[Marine_Uncle]

They do a lot of what to us seem odd, but to them may seem appropiate.

[freeangel]

"very odd"

It makes perfect sense if, in his state of delusion, i'manutjob thinks an attack on iran would unite muslims and the arab world againstthe infidels.

[LS]

South,

Short of irrefutable, overwhelming evidence that Iran has their nukes up and running, they KNOW Bush and Blair don't have the support needed to launch any pre-emptive strikes, and certainly we don't have the ground capability to invade Iran until Iraq is under control, unless we want to pull everyone out of Korea and Europe.

So "baiting" Bush and Blair seems perfectly logical.

[HitmanLV]

It's strikingly odd that Iran is baiting the UK/U.S. to attack while wartime leaders Blair and Bush are still in Office.

Not really. They would love to make Blair & Bush look bad, and both are so politically weak now that I can understand their calculus. I agree with them in the respect that I don't see the UK getting physical over this situation. Score one for Iran.

[shield]

Not odd at all. Lots of civil unrest taking place in Iran. Over at Dr. Jack Wheeler's site...reports of unrest, very poor economy...I'd say Iranians are sick of the leadership. If Iran was to get a war started would this unite this country and stop the huge unrest taking place?

[baubau]

I don't trust US News & World Report.

Another leftist rag.