Iranians Continue Tempting Fate

After calling for the annihilation of Israel in a speech the other day, the Iranian Kook-in-Chief defended his remarks and continued throwing gasoline on the fire:

Iran's president has defended his widely criticised call for Israel to be "wiped off the map".

Attending an anti-Israel rally in Tehran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his remarks were "just" - and the criticism did not "have any validity."

Last Wednesday's comment provoked world outrage. Israel has called for Iran's expulsion from the United Nations.

Egypt said they showed "the weakness of the Iranian government". A Palestinian official also rejected the remarks.

The Iranian people are also getting into the act, as prompted by their president:

Tens of thousands of Iranians took part in the rally in Tehran which Iran organises every year on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan to show solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

Shouting "Death to Israel, death to the Zionists", the protesters dragged Israeli flags along the ground and then set them on fire.

Palestinians recognise the right of the state of Israel to exist and I reject his comments," chief negotiator Saeb Erekat

Many carried posters and placards sporting the slogan "Israel should be wiped off the map".

Joining the protest, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "My words were the Iranian nation's words.

"Westerners are free to comment, but their reactions are invalid," Mr Ahmadinejad told the official Irna news agency.

I wonder how long Israel's patience will hold out with this guy? My guess is they're war-gaming this whole thing out right now. And if Jimmy Carter hadn't been such a wimp, we might have rid Iran of the mad mullahs in 1979 and wouldn't be having this problem today.