Israeli Air Force updating GPS coordinates

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Is he a madman or just pulling our chain?

It's reported that Mr. A continues to rile the West, even the reluctant Germans and Mr. "Smooth" Chirac. In response to the Iranians' removal of the U.N. seals from their uranium enrichment facilities yesterday, the London Financial Times reports today:

French President Jacques Chirac warned Iran Tuesday that it would commit a serious mistake if it ignored the international community on its nuclear program. And German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that with the latest step Teheran had "crossed lines which it knew would not remain without consequences." Steinmeier also said he had asked IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to evaluate the dangers of Iran's move.

I can't imagine the redoubtable Mr. A--who undoubtedly is acting in league with the theocratic government of mullahs--misreading both the Europeans and the U.S.A. to the extent of begging for retaliation. But I suspect they are. However, surely he hasn't forgotten that the Devil's "country of the proven and willing" just a few air miles southwest of Teheran has been watching his country's nuclear program with increasingly intense interest? Or does he think they're on Uncle Sam's leash?

And has he also miscalculated China, who surely has more than a passing interest in Iran's possession of the bomb? China has been playing the oriental inscrutable role with respect to its relationship with Iran, but it's a fair bet that they'll countenance an upstart bunch of religious fanatics on their flank having an equalizer--especially not in the hands of a young, apocalyptic radical.

I reckon President Bush's newly minted doctrine of preemption in foreign policy is being looked at in a much more receptive light by European, Russian, and Chinese leaders. And no need to worry about jawboning with the Israelis--they're in if no one else is, and they're perfectly capable of taking care of the job in short order. Their Air Force has run various air strike scenarios over many times since their strike on Iraq in 1983. You can bet their cockpit GPS instrumentation is up to date.

As for my personal attitude: I still remember vividly the seizure of our embassy in Teheran in 1979 and the embarrassment I, along with most of my countrymen, of the year of humiliation we suffered while the theocratic nuts toyed with their hostages, making the U.S. and its president, Jimmy "Peanuts" Carter, the laughing stock of the world, setting off the "paper tiger" image of us that to this day underlies the impunity with which terrorists continue to operate. It would appear that Mr. A (who some think was one of the young terrorists who led the attack on the embassy in 1979) thinks he's going to call Uncle Sam's hand again. With Dubya at the wheel, that'd be a serious mistake.

If asked, I'll do grunt flightline work on Israeli airbases and help the Jews launch their attacks. Just call on me--I'll pull away the chock blocks.