On Iran

Former CIA director James Woolsey at the Herzliya Conference.

On who the Wahhabis hate more: Iran or us

The Wahhabis, al-Qaida, the Vilayat Faqih in Teheran, although often lethally competitive with one another in the way the Nazis and communists were in the 1930s, are capable of unification. Those who say that these movements will never work together because of their ideology are precisely as correct as those who in the 1930s said that the communists and Nazis will never work together. They didn't, until they did.

On approaches to Iran

...there is a very substantial likelihood that if the diplomatic approach failed - and I think it will - and non-violent regime change won't work [in Iran], there is no alternative except for the US to use force.

On the worst option

I agree with [Senator] John McCain: Using force against Iran to stop its nuclear program is the worst option we have, except for [the option of] letting Iran have a nuclear weapon.

A curiosity. There are six Google ads on the page that I arrived on. The first offers analysis of the rumours that Osama bin Laden is dead. The second offers the services of the Shura Corp if you want to

immediately identify explosives and chemicals used in terrorist attacks.

The next three are on politics and security, but the last is very particular. It is selling a glass film that will protect you from shattering windscreen or window glass - it's your Invisible Coat Of Armor.

Must be great living out there.