After reading the interview, one may surmise:

a) the regime in Iran is opressive & will use force (previously including death squads) to impress its will

b) the people want a new government

c) but, do not give any direct or indirect aid to us, because it will result in the "liberals" being discredited.

What a recipe for inaction! Does anyone seriously think that the current government in Iran is going to be overthrown from within - based on their previous inclination to use violent means to preserve their power? And what about the "non-liberal" poor in Iran that support the strict government there? The Bashiji militias (made up of the poor and uneducated) are also representative of the people there too.

Please do not get me wrong, I certainly do not support any kind of military action on the Iranians (at this time) other than a notification that if they ever do get the bomb that any use of it - covert or overt - would result in the vaporization of their country. But this article makes so clear the whole conceit of the middle east - "leave us alone to work out our problems, but let me bitch all day that you are not helping me solve them."

I just wish people like Ms Ebadi would state how we could help - rather than complain about anything that we do. But with the current price of oil floating the regime there for the next few years - I sincerely doubt that anything will change - with or without any "aid" from the West.

I will jump back in the pitch for another comment on this story and try to make an analogy why the Middle East is like the proverbial Tar Baby - you get stuck harder the more you push.

If you negotiate with Iran - you legitimize the government there and "betray" the aspirations of the educated. If you try to fight them - the "national card" gets played and you end up alienating everyone. God help you if try anything covert - the memories of the 50's CIA coup get trotted out in every discussion as the greatest crime against Iran. So, what do you do?

The first thing you do is realize that there is not (for the foreseeable future) going to be any "western liberal solution" to this area. This is the Middle East and the culture is primarily Islamic - so any government there is going to be more conservative that perhaps the West would prefer. The second thing you realize is that the best offense against Iran at this point is more of a theological battle for control of the Shia mind. Devolution of ideological powers away from Qum to Najaf (in Iraq) that would have more long reaching effects that any other on destabilizing the authority of the ruling clergy in Iran.

The third is a world recession that will drive the price of oil down and drain the coffers of the governments in the area. Let them go broke building atomic bombs - and then let them try to feed their people.

Negotiations with this group (normalizing relationships) would be nice - but it is not going to happen more than the level of a cold peace. And frankly, the educated people there know what the West is all about - let them have something to strive for instead of handing it to them on a silver platter.

The more you fight, the more you lose. Just let it ride and keep an eye on them (the nuclear program). Don't make mischief on them and at the same time smack down where they make mischief in Lebanon and Iraq. The system there is rotten inside, if you are just patient, it will eventually collapse of its own weight.

What a wonderful way to lay tribute for the people that died in the Twin Towers - rant and rave and go into a fit of Bush Derangement Syndrome. Tosh!

I have some bad news for you, Tom - all the troubles in the world did not start with GWB as much as you want to believe that. There really are some nasty people in the world that do bad things to other people - for all kinds of reasons - and standing up on September 12 and singing Kum-ba-ya would not make them change their mind a wit.

As was pointed out - most of the costs for the memorial are for associated projects - an example of creative financing and bloated NYC prices (I missed the Halliburton cry there too - I am sure you can figure a way they must be getting a cut too).

Let the dead have their memorial - but spew your bile elsewhere. This story is the equivalent of posting an indictment of FDR for Pearl Harbor on the Arizona memorial - and just about as tasteful.