Iran's government doesn't care. They are perfectly willing to sacrifice their nation for the better Islamic good merely to destroy Israel and "the Infidel" (whatever that means this week). They really don't care. If they get the bomb, they will use it, consequences be damned, because "Allah will bless them" in the afterlife.
Er, no. Iran's government wants to be the big players in the Middle East, and thanks largely to George W. Bush's catastrophically idiotic mistakes (invading Iraq, ignoring the Israeli-Palestinian piece process, etc.) they're in a a far better position to make that happen then they were before. And part of making that happen is demonstrating that they can stand up to the US and the EU.
NK is a trickier issue. But understanding your adversary's motivations, instead of saying "they're just a bunch of crazy religious fanatics", is by far the most important step in preventing a larger conflict.
Iran's government wants to be the big players in the Middle East
see, I didn't know that they didn't know they already were, and have been since the 1979 revolution.
they must have some funny idea about what being a "big player" means, 'cause they've been an influence (and a thorn in our side) for almost 30 years. they also have had a strong influence in media propaganda in the region, more so than even saudi arabia.
and as i wrote below, even for strictly political reasons (as opposed to anti-semitism0, I don't trust them not to bomb Israel, regardless of the consequences. and they'll use religious justification to defend their people and blame a crusade for the aftermath, just as parts of Iraq have done.
(no subject)
Er, no. Iran's government wants to be the big players in the Middle East, and thanks largely to George W. Bush's catastrophically idiotic mistakes (invading Iraq, ignoring the Israeli-Palestinian piece process, etc.) they're in a a far better position to make that happen then they were before. And part of making that happen is demonstrating that they can stand up to the US and the EU.
NK is a trickier issue. But understanding your adversary's motivations, instead of saying "they're just a bunch of crazy religious fanatics", is by far the most important step in preventing a larger conflict.
(no subject)
see, I didn't know that they didn't know they already were, and have been since the 1979 revolution.
they must have some funny idea about what being a "big player" means, 'cause they've been an influence (and a thorn in our side) for almost 30 years. they also have had a strong influence in media propaganda in the region, more so than even saudi arabia.
and as i wrote below, even for strictly political reasons (as opposed to anti-semitism0, I don't trust them not to bomb Israel, regardless of the consequences. and they'll use religious justification to defend their people and blame a crusade for the aftermath, just as parts of Iraq have done.