today

The 'Daily Star' (Lebanon) say: Iran on Thursday urged the United States to give a clear indication as to whether it wants direct talks with Tehran over stabilizing Iraq and said it was ready to take the "final step" in its nuclear program. "We are hearing different voices from the United States," Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani told reporters Thursday after talks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahhar. "The statements from their side are not very clear, and what is important is that they say clearly what it is they want," he said.

So it looks like a nondemocratic country like Iran basically lacks understanding of a democratic one like USA. The USSR had to battle with that for years, and finally gave up existing, and became sort of democratic as Russia. But when I was in Russia a few years ago, I met quite a few ordinary people who still would have preferred communism, they did not even need asking. So obviously Iran has a lot of political problems.

Israel has been looking for an even tougher line from Washington against Iran's nuclear ambitions, and on Thursday Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres slammed Ahmadinejad as a "Persian version of Hitler."

IMO: More like a "Persian version of Tony B. Liar". Ahmadinejad obviously has no idea of the workings of a nuclear reactor or really just why the US and many others disapprove. And he probably has some woolly idea that his clerics may be right, and 'that's the system'. I would say his behaviour towards nukes is about as useful to Iran as Tony B. Liar's behaviour towards passports is to the UK, these passports being a walking billboard to hackers. Hint: What sounds like a good place to plant a neutron bomb ? Answer: Iraq if they keep Ahmadinejad. But maybe he should meet Tony B. Liar as I'm sure they have a lot in common, though I suspect that may not be a 'good idea'.