Some UK embassy staff quit Iran after truck blast; Eight family members of British embassy staff leave Iran. Like I was saying, some Iranians want to scare all foreigners away, or don't realize the effects their actions are having. This reminds me again of the Daugherty article:

``These same Iranians who shouted "death to America," who condemned everything American as evil or decadent, and who would have killed us had it been ordered, would nonetheless ask my colleagues for help in obtaining visas to the United States, and then could not understand why they were laughed at. If the reader by now suspects, too, that these Iranians, at least, seemed to have difficulty with the concept of cause and effect, he or she would be dead on.''

The LA Times reports 50% support among Americans for taking action against Iran if it continues to develop nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Hmmm. I understand to some Iranians it's a national pride issue to get nuclear weapons, since Pakistan has them. But...

``... Shahram Chubin, in a study for the International
Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), points out, acquiring nuclear weapons
"would put Iran into a different league of risk and reprisal, and this would
not necessarily leave it with enhanced security."'' (Economist)

This is so true, but as I have noted so many times, the current Iranian leaders are incapable of self-criticism (perhaps there's a shortage of mirrors in their houses or something). And don't expect them to adopt the rational path, this is the Middle East!! I have grave fears for the region...

Finally a reader asked me to link about Najaf, Karbala, and Imam Ali. Umm, I was going to say a week ago that the US news channels were never pointing out that Najaf and Karbala are holy cities to Shi'ite Muslims, but this did change as the US troops approached.