There are repeated threats by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel off the map. Iranians provide huge support for radical Palestinian and Lebanese groups seeking its destruction.

In addition, a successful Iranian bid to acquire the bomb will set off an unprecedented nuclear arms race throughout the region. Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates will want to create their own nuclear insurance policies in the face of Tehran's belligerence and regional ambitions. This compounds the threat to Israel.

Marjorie Cohn apparently hates both her own country and Israel.

Another pathetic article from the same author that wanted NATO to leave the poor misunderstood Qaddafi alone.

DavidL:

...The reality is, Israel is a failed state. It makes no contribution towards peace in the region, is a total threat to stability and survival of neighbouring countries, and is nuclear armed and itching to use them; radical and paranoid! (And American funded)!

The Israel obsessed author cannot conceive of the fact that US policies against Iran are largely in defence of Saudi Arabia and even weaker Gulf states such as the UAE, Oman and Kuwait.

Militarily weak Saudi Arabia has more to fear from Iran than militarily strong Israel.

Saudi Arabia has a nuclear weapons deal with Pakistan which, to an extent, provides a nuclear deterrent against Iran.

But unstable Pakistani help cannot be fully relied on – hence the Saudis, UAE and Egyptians have extensive nuclear reactor programs http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/06/01/Saudi-Arabia-to-build-16-nuclear-reactors/UPI-48881306926260/ partly to provide some groundwork for the option to build nuclear weapons if Iran builds them.

See second part of this article http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=9915

The US is concerned that a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, not only involving Israel versus Muslim countries, but between Shiite and Sunni Muslim countries will be too volatile for the US, or any other power, to control.

The US is also acting in the interests of the broader Western world, including Australia.

All this is apparently beyond the author's blinkered Israel/US centric knowledge.

Pete

He has not said he wants to wipe Israel off the map, that lie has been concocted by the zionists and neocons, he said "this regime will one day end like the communist regime", and he was quoting the US installed Ayotallah from over 40 years ago.

Iran has not attacked anyone but Israel has attacked and/or occupied Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Egypt over and over again to gain land.

And as Iran is the best friend of Palestine why would they nuke Israel and murder the Palestinians as well.

Honestly the shills for Israel are pathetic.

"Pressure Israel, not Iran" Pressure Israel? That will be the day when pigs fly.

Interesting article. Since the fall of the Shah the main game for the Americans appears to be the 'containment' of Iran, sometimes through surrogates such as Saddam Hussein.That didn't go well, so now they'll have to do it themselves. What will the US do to make the ME 'safe' for its fellow predator, Israel?

Mossad must have a lot of incriminating evidence on many powerful people in the US or perhaps Americans are just habitual warmongers.