You can't really blame Iran for wanting to have nuclear weapons. So many enemies want to attack this country. Israel wants Iran, the only Middle Eastern state capable of challenging Israeli domination, to be drawn and quartered like Iraq. USA has threatened to invade Iran many times. The only way to deter these powerful enemies is to have nuclear weapon. US threats are just pushing countries like Iran and North Korea further in their quest in attaining nuclear deterrant.

Boazy

I agree with you.

Except, of course, not quite. I think the Iranian question is better typified as "Nuclear Nationalism" that cuts across religious divides.

I think religion is important to justify the extremely high cost of nuclear weapon's development and the high risk of attack from the US/Isreal to prevent further development.

I also think its likely that the nuclear program is more a way of boosting Iran's prestege and (nuclear) military power in order to dominate its Muslim neighbors.

With the exception of Pakistan these neigbors are rich in oil (an expansion incentive for Iran) but weak militarily. In the 1980s Iraq absorbed Iran's military power but since the 1990s Iraq's economy and military have been decimated by the US.

I think the use of Israel as an Iranian nuclear justification is a pretext for Iranian nuclear development aimed as cowering its Muslim neighbors.

Unfortunately I can't prove my views but I understand the US also cannot justify its "Lets bomb Iran tomorrow" campaign.

See the latest post "CIA My Face Critical Intelligence Gaps About Iran" on my blog at http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

Pete

Very well presented and informative article - thank you.

I agree, strangely, with PTBI. You can hardly blame the Iranians for developing a nuclear arsenal given the various issues in play here.

I personally feel equally hostile to nuclear weapons whether they be in the hands of Americans, North Koreans, Israelis or Iranians. It appears to me to be a classic case of 'do as i say, not as i do'