I am saying, however, that the Iranian government has a less than perfect human-rights record Nobody denies that - but that isn't the same as them being lined up with Al Qaida, which is what you did say, dianavan.

A horse has four legs, and a frog has four legs, but they aren't to be confused, and nor are the different varieties of mutually hostile fundamentalists in this world. It isn't that long since we had bloody wars of religion between different varieties of Christian. fundamentalists.

Al Qaida has far more leeway to operate in Iraq, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan than in Iran.