hxcbanana

Yes. I think it is fine for any country to be worried when a leader declares they're willing to use nuclear weapons. President Bush authorizing pre-emptive nuclear strikes to take our Iran's facilities (irony, anyone?) is equally worrying as Israel declaring they will use first strike, and that's just as worrying as Ahmadinejad's nuclear position. Since when is he going to be responsible to his constituency and talk a big game? The same person who has been seriously accused of election and voter fraud? Please. Even if he was just talking because "that's what folks want to hear," that doesn't make it any less worrying. I'm not going to get into a debate over the actual sovereignty of Israel and the nuances of whether or not the Jews leaving the country constitutes an abandonment. It's not just Islam that has a claim on the land, though. Because 1. Brazil's reactors at Angra dos Reis are at a very low production level right now. 2. Regionally, Brazil has been one of the most stable countries and is increasingly involved in free trade agreements, dialogue and consultation within international organizations and individual countries. I think your final comment was directed at someone else, because nowhere in my post did I judge the individual people of Iraq. It's widely accepted that our human rights record and our soft-power is deteriorating because of things like Guantanamo Bay, the Patriot Act, and other search and detain policies.

I think identifying Ahmadinejad as "not a big idiot" is probably a misnomer. I assume you're refering to the same person who called for an investigation into the "Holocaust Myth," refuses to recognize Israel and similarly calls for the destruction of their state, as well as openly threatens not just the US but the international community when they broke IAEA seals and refused inspectors earlier this year. Your last statement is also a gross misconception. Israel has repeatedly stated that they will utilize their first strike capabilities and has, in fact, readied their army for such an event. They view Iran as a direct threat to their sovereignty and would rather "nip it in the bud" lest they be taken out later. A little troubling? I think his expansion of administrative searches under the TRAP Acts and likewise trying to block most, if not all, stem cell research is more than a little troubling.