U.S. Further Sanctions Iran

The Bush administration announced harsher sanctions against Iran, charging anew that Tehran supports terrorism in the Middle East, exports missiles and is engaging in a nuclear build up:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the steps the Bush administration is taking against the Revolutionary Guard Corps and a number of banks are designed, among other things, to punish Tehran for its support of terrorist organizations in Iraq and the Middle East.

Rice said the moves were in response to "a comprehensive policy to confront the threatening behavior of the Iranians" although she also said that Washington remains open to "a diplomatic solution."

But Rice quickly added: "Unfortunately the Iranian government continues to spurn our offer of open negotiations, instead threatening peace and security by pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to a nuclear weapon, building dangerous ballistic missiles, supporting Shia militants in Iraq and terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and denying the existence of a fellow member of the United Nations, threatening to wipe Israel off the map."

More escalation. It would be nice if Iran would apply some sanity to what they're doing, but I believe that's simply too much to ask. Ahmadinejad is a mad dictator who believes it is his calling to start WWIII by attacking Israel and the U.S. The real question is: when the rubber meets the road, who will have the guts to jump in and do the dirty work alongside American forces?

There's my two cents.