Chief of Staff forgot the "ir" in "rational ".

Iran's hatred towards Israel is primarily religious and political. It's current leadership has stirred up this animosity, but it can just as easily kill it off. We have to be sufficiently sensitive to not giving the Iranian leadership ammunition with which they can attack us. Unlike the Arabs who are emotionally immature, the Iranians are a bright and modern people who could, once again, become a faithful ally..... if we can only get rid of the screwy knuckleheads who run the country today.

IDFTHE NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD ,WE ACKNOWLEDGE & TESTIFY ! ben singapore

you still must take time to understand the Iranians.Your Chief of Staff has made a move...............so you need to do little bit or re-thinking.The person who will really get upset is Sarah.I am afraid,she will start despising the Chief of Staff as well.

If some radical muslims as ahmadinejad were irrational,they couldn't reach to where they've reached ,in a steady work of destruction for decades. They have been bombing airplanes for a long time now.They are extremely organized.Impressively organized. They were kicked out of Spain maybe 5 centuries ago(I am not pretty sure about details)because they have been bothering other nations for long ago. So,of course they are rational! But their "rationality"is driven by an underlying irrationaly. One could say that after all the whole world is driven by one underlyng religious ideology or another:christians,muslims,budists,pagans from Africa and Judaism. The problem of radical muslims is that they are wild and are driven by hate and by an ideology that presses down the humanity in obscurantism. I just think that this Ashkenasy's speech is the resume of Obama and Bibi conversations,in other words meaning that we were told:"shut up Israel ,and keep quiet even if Iran is preparing to rid you off the map with a bomb!"

But on the other hand secular, democratic Iran is good for Israel. Currently Iranian mullahs are facing a dilemma. Spend huge amounts of money they do not have and continue with development of nukes at risk of losing control over Iran or give up nukes for now and try to retain their rule for a bit longer. I believe events of following few month will truly show whether ayatollahs are rational or irrational. I suspect Ashkenazi has a little bit more information than any one of us.

Keren wrote: "....Ashkenazi's speech is the result of Obama and Bibi conversations. In other words, we were told:"shut up Israel, and keep quiet even if Iran is preparing to wipe you off the map with a bomb!" We are seeing much the same in the US military. Political correctness is pervasive at the top. How else can one explain the promotion of a jihadist killer to the rank of Major and a US Army psychiatrist, despite all the warnings? Political correctness is responsible for the murder and the maimings of scores of US soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas last week. Iran's murderous exhortations cannot; they must not be ignored. Political Correctness will destroy Israel's and America's deterrent capability, leaving innocent people defenseless before violence.

After Israel find Iran a hard nut to deal with start changing the tone. Regardless of their hard-line policy, personally I believe Iranian are easier to deal with when agreement is achieved, at least they own their @$$, not like this co called moderate arabs losers. After Israeli discovered that no body is going to do for them the dirty job like the Iraqi case, so they can sit aside and watch, find better to be friend with Iran.

NUMBER 2. IF JEHOWAH HAS SAID THROUGH HIS PROPHET EZEKIEL, 2500 YEARS BACK NOW, THAT PERSIA INDEED WILL ATACK ISRAEL, IT IS NOT THE LEADERSHIP IN PERSIA WHO IS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE NATIONAL PERSONALITY, THE CONSCIOUSNES AND FORCE AND SPIRIT IN IRAN WHO IS. NUMBER 4. I BET THAT SARAH IS MORE SMART THAN THIS JERK CAN IMAGINE. Arn-Orao.

External and internal conflicts are the lifeblood of Islamic society and conflict in the Muslim world is not seen as a problem that requires a peaceful solution. This is very rational to them and inherent in their psyche and culture.

You noticed right ,you were told to shut up . Regarding of the US Major ,no body knows yet the motive. Don't rush with the conclusion .He survived and will be interrogated .will see.

Muhammad? "Nobody knows yet the motive... Don't rush with the conclusion," you insist. You sound very much like America's first Muslim-born president who cautions American infidels against "jumping to conclusions." "Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the gunman who killed 13 at America's Fort Hood military base, once gave a lecture to other doctors in which he said non-believers should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats. "He also told colleagues at America's top military hospital that non-Muslims were infidels condemned to hell who should be set on fire." Hasan cried "Allahu Akhbar" ("God is great;" or greater) as he mowed down his unarmed infidel comrades. Yet #11 insists we not rush with the conclusion as to Hasan's murderous motives.

Gee,I wonder where SaraB is...LOL...this is getting so funny. SaraB, I just laugh at you. HAHAHAHAAA

bashers: For one thing, she really adds to our educational level on this forum. Second, she is exceedingly articulate. Third, she is impassioned, which, translated, means she cares about the state of Israel. You two, and some of you others who berate her, simply detract from discussion as your posts are of the childish "Ha ha variety", do not add new information nor attempt to analyze the information already presented. In short, you're useless except to distract people's attention. This would be normal for junior highschool students but in adults (such as yourselves) it is simply a sign of delayed development (immaturity). And finally, this post is not to say that I always agree with Sarah but that I always value her commentary, find it of interest, appreciate the new information she contributes as well as her often novel perspective. As for Mahmood and Arash, there is nothing the least bit enlightening in your posts and I find you a waste of time.

stone age, that is the reality if anyone likes the idea or not.

You mentality is pretty much like the terrorist who believe in his rightness only and all others are wrong. We are fed up with this wave of Bush terrorism mania and paranoidism. I don’t know from where you are collecting your info ,all what being heard in the news is rumors and allegations. I am not justifying his action no matter what, but if you really care that won’t happen again, you should first know why this happened. Fantasim, terrorism or what ever the court will give the verdict not sick personality in a forum here or a blog there. I heard he was harassed by his comrades about his muslim religion and arabic background after Sep. 11 so where is the truth.?. You can pick and choose the info that more suites your mentality but is doesn’t mean the truth. We lost here the diversity and become intolerant to other opinion, who doesn’t think conservative is a leftist, unpatriotic, terrorist supporter or a hidden arab .You can relax my real name is George Lapointe from Montreal exactly where a big Lebanese community exist, it gives me a big insight and open my mind about the Middle East reality not your Fox news. God helps you.

Absolutely no problem in you rating our talk-back.You have the right to do that.Sarah is a person with good knowledge,no doubt,but is a biased and one -sided person.Thirteen times she has put the Iranian unemployement rate to be at 30% under articles haveing no relation to the economy of Iran.Least did she express any concern about the more than 10% rate of unemployemnt in USA. You may consider it to be waste of time,but the fact that you do read the talk-back is indeed a good news.And Robert,thanks for the same.

A common human failing. Dishonest people think all others are dishonest. Thieves believe everyone else is a thief to one extent or another. Politicians believe everyone else is self-serving too. Racists believe everyone else is ignorant, like themselves. Honest people are gullible. Ones judgments of another person are based primarily on oneself, not the other person. Gabi thinks they are rational mainly because *he* is rational.

Robert you say: "For one thing, she really adds to our educational level ". If you consider loud mouth Sarah B.'s babbling as adding to your educational level, then you must be one heck of an un educated looser.