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...what should Washington do? A starting point should be to recognize that the U.S. is no longer dealing with an Iran that merely simulates indecisiveness. On the contrary, Iran seems genuinely irresolute and paralyzed by the Khamenei government's loss of legitimacy and continued conflicts both within the élite and between the government and the people. (See pictures of Iran's presidential elections and their turbulent aftermath...
...course for its foreign policy. In a state of paralysis, Iran's behavior is primarily driven by two forces: bureaucratic inertia and a willingness to take only those decisions that are deemed low-risk within Iran's internal political context. That does not include compromise with Washington and the International Atomic Energy Agency on the nuclear issue. From the Iran-Contra scandal onwards, Iran's history is ripe with examples of Iranian politicians losing their careers after trying to create an opening to the U.S. Iran's opposing political factions fear that rivals would reap the political benefits...
...game changer would be victory by Iran's pro-democracy green movement. But Washington has little influence over the fate of the greens and the movement's struggle follows a timetable that is not synchronized with Iran's nuclear trajectory. The opposition remains a thorn in Khamenei's side. But exaggerated expectations of its prospects will put undue pressure on the movement. (See pictures of terror in Tehran...
...here is the central dilemma of Iranian policy: Iran's greens need time, but Washington does not seem to think it can afford to wait. While patience is underrated in the U.S. political culture, impatience carries a much greater risk when dealing with a country currently prone to escalation. The tragedy of yet another war in the Middle East is something America simply cannot afford. Waiting for something to change is hard for Americans. But on Iran, that is what they should...
...that cell phones are a public-health threat. But a number of scientists are worried that there has been a dangerous rush to declare cell phones safe, using studies they feel are inadequate and too often weighted toward the wireless industry's interests. An analysis published by University of Washington neurologist Henry Lai determined that far more independent studies than industry-funded studies have found at least some type of biological effect from cell-phone exposure. (See pictures of the cell phone's history...