By HASSAN M. FATTAH

The New York Times, RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - At a late-night reading this week, a self-styled poet raised his hand for silence and began a riff on neighboring Iraq, in the old style of Bedouin storytellers.

"Saddam Hussein was a real leader who deserved our support," he began, making up the lines as he went. "He kept Iraq stable and peaceful," he added, "and most of all he fought back the Iranians." He continued, "His one mistake was invading Kuwait."

Commentary
USADI, December 14 - Tomorrow, Iran's ruling tyranny will hold it's theocratic version of "elections" for the Assembly of Experts and the city councils. Although tomorrow's elections could be viewed as a barometer of factional balance within the theocratic regime, their first and foremost utility for the ruling regime is to give it an aura of popular legitimacy at a time it is faced with mounting dissent at home and diplomatic isolation abroad.

Commentary by Philip H. Gordon and Kenneth M. Pollack

The Wall Street Journal - We may never know the extent to which Iran was involved in Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers -- the incident that started the war in Lebanon. Hezbollah is not merely Tehran's pawn, and may have acted entirely on its own.

By Struan Stevenson

The Washington Times - Spanish-American political philosopher George Santayana famously said, "Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are destined to repeat them." Current events in Iran indicate we had better prepare ourselves for some sharp history lessons. As the brutal, fascist regime tightens its grip in the Middle East, the parallels with the rise of Nazi Germany are menacing.

Letters to Editor

By Struan Stevenson MEP

The Daily Telegraph, July 25 - As the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, comes West for the first time, the Middle East is in turmoil. All its problems have one common feature - Iran. Teheran's mullahs have spread their evil influence in all areas, directly and indirectly.

By David Johnson, US Alliance for Democratic Iran

Unrefined petroleum speculators are a skittish herd and the leadership in Tehran knows this. Leveraging a combination of threats of violence against its neighbors and an ambitious nuclear program, Iranian officials have found the right formula to push the price of their country's primary export to record breaking levels.

Iran is second only to Saudi Arabia in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with respect to unrefined petroleum exports. Alternatively, Iran is second only to Russia in terms of proven natural gas reserves.

By Tony Blankley

The Washington Times - The Western response to the threat of Iran gaining nuclear weapons is tracking dangerously toward appeasement and failure. It is not yet inevitable? President Bush has insisted in two State of the Union addresses, and currently, that he will not permit it to happen. But most government officials in Europe and here, and of course the dominant media are already deeply into resignation, rationalization and denial. Indeed, in the last couple of years the absolute exclusion of a military option has become the only "respectable" posture among both European and American officials and senior media personages.