ABSTRACT
Following the “axis of evil” speech the Bush Administration, pushed by Israel, tried to prepare the groundwork for confronting Iran after invading Iraq. As in the case of Iraq, the menu was employed. But the US’s menu option was broader than what was put forward by Israel. Besides the usual “misbehaviors” of Iran-such as support for “terrorist” groups opposed to Israel and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction-the US menu included such “misbehaviors” as Iran destabilizing Afghanistan, harboring Al-Qaeda, lacking democracy, being ruled by unelected individuals, violating human rights, not protecting the rights of women, not being forward-looking and modern.1 Yet, as in the case of Iraq, the US and Israel finally settled “on the one issue that everyone could agree on which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason,” to use Paul Wolfowitz’s apt explanation for invading Iraq (Vanity Fair, May 9, 2003).
