Iran wins round after round

Islamic Republic has the world by the short and curly

President Ahmadinejad has once again raised the ire of the West and once again the threat of sanctions and incentives are at the negotiating table.

It appears that the world’s leaders are intent on finding a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear proliferation attempts. These measures are comprised of harsh economic sanctions; diplomatic pressure and political isolation. But if Iran complies - and this is the bizarre part - it will reap windfall gains. Smacks of appeasement - that's because it is.

Best case scenario - Iran complies by temporarily suspending enrichment – it appears that the world is willing to shower the Islamic Republic of Iran with praise and gifts alike. But the Iranians are having none of it. Why one may ask? The reason is clear: they are so close to completion that they can smell it. A nuclear-armed Iran has infinitely more leverage than an Iran attempting to gain nuclear potential.

Iran is a nation built on tremendous wealth. That wealth from its vast petroleum supplies has helped precious little in alleviating the growing poverty of the Iranian people. Why then has a nation with an abundance of natural resources failed to capitalize on it’s wealth? Naturally isolation; war; corruption and mismanagement have resulted in Iranians living below their potential. But it is the nature of the regime - one that is repressive - that stifles growth and maintains misery.

This complex question requires more than mere prodding. Suffice it to say the Iranian hard-line president has chosen to anger the west in an attempt to divert growing internal tensions. Naturally a scapegoat is ideal in such situations and that is Israel. Jew-haters know this line all too well. It works every time - but Israel has absolutely nothing to do with Iran's survival yet Iran has everything to do with Israel's survival/demise.

According to Iranian spin doctors: Israel is America’s representative in the Middle East. Israel has an aggressive, expansionist programme intent on colonizing the region and bringing suffering to the Arab people. For the majority of different populations of the region this propaganda is largely accepted.

Why is this so? It is simple: an entity that is democratic (despite protestations to the contrary); Judaic and western in culture is a natural affront to the largely Islamic; conservative culture existing in the region. Many of the regimes in the Arab world are long standing. These include families and kingdoms that have been around for generations. This style of governance would be severely hamstrung if democratic ideals were embraced.

Therefore the reluctance to accept Israel as a neighbour is more of a rejection of democracy than anything else. The people are used to being ruled by blood and iron. Women are subservient to men and religion is the way in which people must live their lives. A democratic society that embraces secular society is an abomination to Arab countries. A democratic Jewish society is even more disquieting.

Therefore Iran continues to provoke Israel – in so doing it tries to garner Arab support - so that it can boast a place in the greater scheme of things. Why threaten Israel? Simply because its easy to do so. It unites the dissenters in the region and it provides a militant leadership with the perfect enemy - one that has been made the scape goat since time immemorial.

Iran’s rhetoric has more ominous overtones. A mad man simply doesn’t build a nuclear weapon if he doesn’t intend to use the weapon should he wish to threaten others or feel threatened himself.