McGrath,

I think the Spanish bombings were not INTENDED to be about domestic politics, but that's how it turned out. Unfairly blaming the Basques was a political blunder that cost the conservatives dearly.

dianavan, your lack of knowledge about Iran and Islam is astounding. We were once being told that Al Qaeda was bolstering the government of Iraq, even though every Middle Eastern expert knew it wasn't so. Now suddenly Al Qaeda is bolstering the government of Iran?

Ironically, if you put Saudi Arabia in there instead of Iran, you'd be half right: the Wahabis do not "hold power" there, but from behind the scenes they allow the corrupt and impotent house of Saud to hold power. US conservatives are so addicted to Saudi Arabian oil that they can't or won't call them out, however. So it's Iran that gets made into a fall guy.

Don't get me wrong. There's plenty wrong with Iran, just as there was plenty wrong with Saddam. But to just shift your focus and say "but where Al Qaeda REALLY recruits is Iran" is ludicrous.

After we are occupying Iran, will you claim that "Al Qaeda is the military wing of the Islamic Fundamentalists who presently hold power in Syria"?