I don't think the USA would find Iran "scary" at all if Iran was pursuing an oil marketing policy in line with what the USA wants and if the Iran Hostage crisis had not happened during Jimmy Carter's term of office in the 70s. Rather, I think Iran would be regarded today as another reliable ally of the USA, regardless of the nature of their government, and that all would be hunky-dory between Iran and the USA, and you wouldn't hear a peep about Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. (It's perfectly legal for them to have a nuclear reactor and a nuclear power program to generate electricity anyway, which is what they have always claimed is all they are doing).

What I'm saying is that if Iran was cooperating with the USA on how they market their oil, and cooperating on joint military security (as Egypt and the other Arab nations presently do) Iran would be seen as a "good guy" in the western media, and no one would be spreading scare stories about their leaders, their Mullahs or their domestic nuclear program. Pakistan has a domestic nuclear pogram too, is militantly Islamic, and already has nuclear bombs. You don't hear much about it, do you? (except when they are in danger of getting into another war with India)


*****

Regarding Mubarak's exit: BRAVO!!! It's a great symbolic event, a watershed, one that should serve to inspire hopeful people all across the Muslim world. It proves that corrupt leaders can be brought down by ordinary people in the streets! How it will turn out farther down the road, no one can say.

It should serve to inspire us too. We may see something like it in our own country(s) someday.