Can someone explain what Iran is doing?

My understanding is that Iran elects their leaders after they have been screened by the religious authority.  The people pulling the strings of power behind the scenes are religious. That makes Iran a Theocracy. 

If your screen name wasn't what it is or if I weren't the passionate Afghan with an absolute allergy to anything and everything US, promise you on my scout's honour, we would have become the best of friends.

You are dead right they create an illusion of Democracy. 

I wish we had a movement here in the West to become more Democratic.

Who needs power pimps in this day and age of communication? Ever thought of Electronic Democracy? It will be there one day. Thirty years ago how many of us would have thought that we would live without the sacred dollar bills?

I'm not a Muslim, but provoking a war, seems well, un-Islamic. 

Great man, who is provoking a war? The wolf with the largest air force in the world or the poor lamb with a few canister of oil still left under his floor?

Or, is it also possible that no one is provoking a war and the Washington and London pups are just barking at Iran for her control in Bagdad and thus of all the Production "Sharing" agreements Paul Bremmer put in place for a pliant Iraqi government to ratify?

Sure like any religion it has its fanatics who would hide behind a religious facade to promote hatred and violence to further their ambition driven agenda.

So, all the wars and violence in our world are promoted by some Muslim fanatics? They are the only ones in our entire universe with ambition driven agenda? London and Washington follow uncle Billy Graham's gospels?

Surely the Iranians know that a direct conflict with the US/Israel would be, as ak_m_f noted, suidical. 

Great analysis or, shall we say, fantastic anal y sis? Really? My boy sometimes times just change. We are now facing the Sunset powers. It would be wise to at least muffle this one a little, even I can smell your empty threat.

As the recent invasion of Iraq proved, these nations have the power and the will to invade and occupy other nations.

Come on, pray, tell me what has the invasion and occupation of Iraq proven?

So I wonder what the advantage is?  The US is bogged down in Iraq.  From my observations of the US, starting another war would be unpopular.

Is Iran ready for war?  Iran is just being painted by your media to be war ready. The drums are being beaten elesewhere, not in Teheran.

If so they better have a way to neutralize America's air superiority. Someone did that when they were trying to invade Iran in 1979.

If it came down to a purely ground based war, I think Iran could defend itself. Sorry, Iran won't have to defend herself on her own. This once, half of Turkey, all of Pakistan + Afghanistan and around 55% of Syria will jump in. We will not count the Saudi and the Gulf disencanted lot at this stage. Today west stands exposed and the Muslims have come to know where they stand. Poor Karzai and Pervez Mush could only act as far as they have for the uglies of the world.

I'm not an expert, but it looks to me like Iran still needs time to be able to defend itself from the US. Its still a couple of years away from possessing nukes.  Its air defenses are still a work in progress.  But it does have a significant CW and BW capability.

All great western minds can only measure what is known only to them. God bless you and your calculations!

Overall, the best Iran can hope for is a draw.  More likely a war with the US will result in a invasion/occupation. Come on then, what are we waiting for? Invade, please, uncle OBL has been waiting for this moment for I don't know how long!

I still don't see the logic behind Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel remarks. Could you please quote hom verbatim? Do you really know what he said or are we just trumpeting the Fox News?

I believe OBL made the same mistake. He thought that he could get the US out of the middle-east by provocation and attacks on the US.

Wrong number. He in fact wanted the US to be exactly where she is today

This is the same mistake the Palastinians made by electing a terrorist organization to it's government. There will never be peace for Palistine with these actions. Never.

It's okay for everyone else to elect their terrorists, gun runners, shady arms dealers, oil stealers, baby killers - but anyone in the Muslim world does that, it's the end of the universe.

Could you just tell me, the most reverend abd the wise One, what was the problem when the ALGERIANS elected a government by a 92% vote just a few years ago?

Why must the west be always so scared of anything democratic going on in the Muslim world.

Did it not start with an elected Iranian government in 1953?

I think what is interesting is that for US, most people were brought into the real world with 9/11, that we are interconnectedness of the world. We tend to be isolated and the last war on US soil was 160 years ago. Some don�t mind it if others are dying. Just not us is the mentality.Wars are alright if its not your house being blown up, your livlihood destroyed, your land screwed up.

Absolutely dangerous man, Megatron. In fact almost worse than our good old Oscar Wilde. Please don't say things like that, our Amreekis are already well shaken. We see all manner of abuse hurled at the rest of the world.

Any Celtic streak in there?