Program note: I caught an interview with Ted Koppel on Talk of the Nation this afternoon, discussing (promoting) his two-hour special report on Iran, coming up Sunday night on the Discovery Channel.

"Koppel travels to Iran's border with Iraq, the ancient capital of Isfahan, the holy city of Qom and the Persian Gulf. He talks to Iranians from all walks of life -- businessmen, dissidents, former government officials and ordinary citizens -- to hear their thoughts on their country's leaders, nuclear ambitions and relations with the rest of the world." (NPR) I wonder if he asks about the government-sanctioned murder of homosexuals.

Anyway, here in the east it's on at 9:00, so it won't confilct with Amazing Race... whew!

I doubt the people he speaks with won't deviate too much from the party line

they may say some not too positive things about the regime but will support it overall

sort of like the old Soviet era

Koppel's barking up the wrong tree IMO. Iran is unlikely to make good on its desire to "whip Israel from the face ot the earth" or whatever translation has become popular.

They spent eight bloody years fighting against a much weaker Iraq.

However Israel attacking Iran in order to defuse an alleged nuclear arms capability using Iran's support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and/or Hamas in the Palestinian Territories as a pretext is, I think, far more likely.

Russia may not sit idly by while such an attack occurs if it develops into a full-scale confrontation threatening their interests in Iran and the Middle East in general. That is scary.