[andyfox]

Is it a surprise that his country is participating in the war in Iraq? Shouldn't the administration have considered that invading the two countries on either side of Iran would engender a military response, especially considering the history our relations with Iran, and the nature of this guy's persona?

The guy's a jerk, no question about it. But he's the jerk who leads a big country. For me, I have a bigger problem with the leader of our country sending American soldiers and marines into a country refusing to consider all the advice it received on what would happen. The administration was told there would be Sunni/Shiite trouble, that looting would likely occur, that disbanding the army was a mistake, that the infrastructure would need attention, that the Kurds would want a de facto independent state, that wholesale deBaathification would lead to chaos. And what was their response? "Stuff happens," said the Secretary of Defense. That's much more upsetting to me than the garbage that the leader of Iran spouts because if the administration hadn't been so callous our boys wouldn't be facing those IEDs today.

Best regards,
Andy