Jim writes:
Ahmedinejad has a constitutionally weak role in the Iranian government. He has no control over the Army/Navy and nuclear development. There is an ongoing conflict between the religious moderates and conservatives in the Islamic hierarchy which actually controls the levers of power. Ahmedinejad appears to be losing actual power in Iran, not gaining it. But we seem intent on unifying the government and people by our constant attacks and threats on Ahmedinejad and Iran. This is not in our interest.
I have no brief for Ahmedinejad or Iran, but I do have a brief for rational, national interest (without ideological blinders), US policy.
It is in our interest to reduce tensions in the mideast and south asia, not increase them.
This is worth repeating: There's a very substantial case to be made that we are the only force propping Ahmadinejad up. There is an almost ironclad case to be made that our overt hostility to Iran is leading to retrenchment among their political elite, crackdowns on moderates, and problems for reformers. There is very little of a case to be made that our actions towards Iran are in any way weakening Ahmadinejad, save insofar as our sanctions are making the Iranians miserable enough to hate everybody, us included. This is a very stupid way to make policy.
