Originally Posted by Biggles
I think we have to remember that Ahmadinejad plays as much to an Iranian audience as he does a World one.
He knows perfectly well that attempting to wipe Israel from the face of the globe would bring certain ruin to Iran but the thought of it plays well to the hardliners. Likewise Iran has been industrialising since the days of the Shah and civilian nuclear energy has been in the pipeline there for two decades or more.
It is unlikely that Iran will be attacked and it is probable that they will have civilian nuclear power. These two things would probably have happened regardless. Ahmadinejad is striking the pose that his leadership is bringing these things to fruition. To a small degree he is and he seems to determined to milk it for all its worth.
However, there is a political opposition in Iran and his hardline rhetoric plays no better with them than it does with us - or, for that matter, no better than the hardline rhetoric of other leaders goes down with the political opposition in their respective countries either. :shifty: