Iran in Washington's cross hairs

For those in Washington who are eager to confront Iran, the surprise election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a godsend. Iran's new president is a perfect foil for neocons long eager to move ahead with scenarios for regime change in Tehran.
After a White House meeting on Monday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that his country, along with Great Britain, France and the United States, will be pressuring Iran on its nuclear program.
We're going to continue being tough and firm," he declared. "The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
For now, across the U.S. political spectrum, few want to raise the specter of military action against Iran. The Bush administration tries to tamp down any such speculation, preferring not to raise alarm at home or abroad. Democrats would much rather concentrate on skewering Bush's Iraq policy - and hardly want to seem soft on Iran. Meanwhile, at the grassroots, antiwar constituencies prefer to believe that, with troops bogged down in Iraq, the Pentagon is in no position to embark on a military venture in Iran.
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