Steve, the most disturbing claim in the Frontline piece to me was that iran proposed a complete settlement of all issues, including nuclear capability in 2003. The US ignored it feeling that we had won in Iraq and could exert all our might against Iran at will. The result was the defeat of the moderate government of Iran and the installation of the current hard line one.
Oh. I thought you knew that already, Phil. Well. Yes, it's very disturbing. In all fairness to the historical record (whatever that is!), the election victory of Ahmadinejad in 2005 was likely influenced far more by the mere presence of the infidels in Iraq (I mean, the Occupying Forces of course) than by any obscure olive branch offering by the Khatami regime. The Conservatives in Iran engaged in the same kind of fear-mongering as we are accustomed to hearing from the fear-mongering Conservatives right here in the USA, with similar results. Enough of the populace were scared into voting against their own best interests.
