WORLD NEWS: "Fight May Bolster Iranian Hard-Liners and Ahmadinejad," by Chip Cummins and Roshanak Taghavi, Wall Street Journal, 5 January 2009.

When Israel cracks down like this, moderate states in the region look weak and the firebrands look tougher--same as it ever was. Thus the great utility in provoking Israeli kinetics.

To me, a logical move of the hard-liners in Iran as they approach the prez election: get Hamas to trigger something.