Democracy on the march in the Middle East?

Apparently, over 2200 American troops have now died in Iraq for ... this?

Report: IAF trained for Iran attack

IAF pilots have completed their mission training and fighter jets have been prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran, the British Sunday Times reported.

The article reported that "the elite 69 strategic F-15 I squadron" had been equipped with weapons that will be tested in combat for the first time, and that two missile submarines were on standby: one in the Persian Gulf and the second in Haifa Bay.

The Times also said that special IDF forces would be helicoptered into Iran to take out targets that could not be destroyed in an air strike.

Yes, I can smell the freedom and democracy flowering from here. Oh, wait ... that's napalm. I always get those two confused.

BY THE WAY, do you think Iran's really all that worried about international sanctions being imposed by the U.N. Security Council? I suspect they're pretty unimpressed by threats like that:

Iran stepped up its defiance of international pressure over its nuclear programme yesterday by warning of soaring oil prices if it is subjected to economic sanctions. As diplomats from the US, Europe, Russia, and China prepared to meet today in London to discuss referring Tehran to the UN security council, Iran's economy minister, Davoud Danesh-Jafari, said the country's position as the world's fourth-largest oil producer meant such action would have grave consequences.

"Any possible sanctions from the west could possibly, by disturbing Iran's political and economic situation, raise oil prices beyond levels the west expects," he told Iranian state radio.

Of course, knowing the Bush administration, sky-high oil prices may be just what they're after.

Conspiracy theorist? Who, me?