Haven't the comments rather gotten away from the point that Cohn was making: that pressuring Iran (which is not a nuclear power nor a belligerent in the Middle East) and ignoring Israel which is both is misplaced.

Opinion polls conducted by reputable polers in the Middle East indicate that the overwhelming majority of ordinary citizens in those countries regard Israel and the US as the greatest threats to peace in their region. That is not of course the view of the leaders of those countries which is one reason why the people are rebelling. They are sick and tired of being satraps of the Americans.

The modern history of the Middle East shows that the US will go to great lengths to support dictatorships, so long as they support US policy. Genuine nationalist movements are seen as a threat and rapidly undermined or overthrown. Iran in 1953 is a classic example. Mossadegh's crime was to nationalize the oil companies (forerunner of BP). He was overthrown in a CIA coup and replaced by the Shah, an American puppet. 26 years of brutal rule followed. It is scarcely surprising that the Iranians have memories of such conduct, and other events such as the American supported invasion by Iraq that lead to an 8 year war in which at least a million Iranians died.

Now we have the Americans clearly preparing for another war with Iran and as Cohn has pointed out in other articles already conducting acts of war such as sabotage, assassinations and now sanctions. None of which are remotely justified. Yet again, Australia is the loyal ally. God help us all.

somewhat biased, America is prepared for war, if Iran does not give up their ambition of making bombs. You can not have A bombs in the hands of radicals. America is giving Iran every chance to toe the line.

Shadow Minister,I'm just repeating what two Chinese Major Generals have stated.It may not be true about their real intent but they have successfully bluffed Obama and the USA into submission.The Israeli/USA ware games in the Gulf have been canelled.Robert Baer EX-CIA predicted this.( Google it on 2GB,Robert Baer Ray Hadley interview)He was here in 2010 saying the very words that Obama is mouthing.They are broke and cannot afford a war with Iran.

After the Libyan invasion the USA/NATO were ready to take Syria.Russia sent several nuke subs and 3 war ships.They also armed Syria with serious conventional weapons.Now both Russia and China have warned off the West in attacking Iran.

The West as I've previously stated cannot sustain a serious conventional war with Russia,China or Iran.We have let a corrupt financial system take us all to the cleaners.

579: In what way was my comment "biased". I was simply stating verifiable facts.
Where is your evidence that Iran has ambitons to build an atomic bomb? All 16 US intelligence agencies unanimously concluded twice (the latest last year) that Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program.
Iran is a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty and as such has to submit to verification inspections by the IAEA. The last such inspection was in late 2011. Again, no evidence of a nuclear weapons program.
Israel on the other hand is not a signatory to the NPT and refuses to allow inspections.
Perhaps you can enlighten us as to the legal basis for the US to be giving Iran (or anyone else for that matter) a last chance to toe the line. It is precisely this arrogance of power that much of the world is heartily sick of.

The opinion polls from the Middle East are absolutely right, James O’Neill, all Arabs know that the US is the main obstacle to peace. Because without the US, the Arabs would can destroy Israel, massacre or expel the Jews, and then there will be peace.

The US supported the Shah, James, because he was the lesser of three evils. Which regime would you prefer? A right wing, pro European dictatorship, which was trying to drag its people into the 20th century? Or a left wing dictatorship allied to the Soviet Union, which would mean it would end up with a Soviet economy resembling North Korea, Cuba or Albania? Or, a religious dictatorship which damn near hates everybody who is not a Shiite, and which wants to turn Iran back to the 7th Century?

The Iranians lost a couple of million killed when Iraq attacked Iran. But Saddam would never have done that when the Shah was in power, because the Shah would have wiped the floor with Saddam. All of those Iranian students who supported Khomeini are probably dead and pushing up daisies in the swamps of Basra, and those who survived probably wish that the Shah was back. At least they could still get a cold beer in Tehran.

Now, you and I just might be in agreement over any US attack on Iran. I don’t think the US should do it. It would be better for the Iranians to give a nuclear weapon to the Palestinans, because everybody knows just how peace loving the Palestinians are. With a bit of luck, they maty detonate an atom bomb in Tel Aviv, and the Israelis will let fly with their Jericho missiles, and nobody will ever have to worry about Iran for the rest of time. It will be converted into a giant sheet of glass.

When that happens, people like your good self can then go into paroxysms of self righteous indignation, saying that it was all the fault of the USA for not bombing Iran when they had the chance.

James O'Neill,both LEGO and 579 are trolls.They have a subversive agenda totally the opposite to Ron Paul libertariarism.Ignore them.