Obviously you've forgotten about the Safavid empire in the 1500's, the conquest and end of the Byzantine Empire in the 1400's. Really if we go with Islam as a whole the Sunni Ottoman Empire carried on conquests until the early 1900's. Shiite's and Sunni's continue their conquests through terrorism and militant upheaval throughout Africa and the Middle East, fighting each other as much as the governments they're trying to topple. Just because the rules of engagement have changed in the last 100 years does not mean the conquest has stopped and Iranians have been an active participant since the beginning of the Islamic faith.

Much like the Supreme Court in the beginning of the 19th century the IAEA only holds power if the powers that be decide to listen and unfortunately no ones does. It is mostly just used for intelligence purpose through official channels, the press gives it far more credit than it really deserves. An organization like that needs a major success before it has any credibility and it hasn't had one.

Dimona is Israeli's first nuclear reactor it was built before the IAEA even existed. It's a mute arguement because Israel's only reason for building nukes was for defense against the Arab world because at the time they had a country that was resource poor and very small militarily. It would be a completely different story if Israel's chief goal was to destroy the Arab world and convert everyone to Judiaism. But 60 years has taught us they just want to be left alone in their holy land and kick out everyone else who doesn't belong. Iran wants to destroy Israel completely and 1500 years of conquest shows they want the whole world converted to Islam by any means necessary.

Iran wishes to use nukes, Israel does not. It's that simple. If Israel did, the Arab world would be a wasteland of craters, whether the world liked it or not. What would the West have to complain about? They'd be able to run in and monopolize the oil.

B Bishop you talk with real emotion so I can tell you care about the issue but the problem is your talking with your heart alone and ignoring your head. You need to research what you believe rather than to trying to rationalize it simply from what you've experienced in life because this country is a lot bigger than just your collective of family and friends. I've never heard anyone with an MD say that getting the degree was a cake walk, it's difficult, 3/4's of those who go to college wishing to be a doctor flunk out or change degree programs and that's just after the weed out classes like Microbiology and Organic Chemistry. If you can go to a University enroll in Organic Chemistry, skip all the classes, show up for tests and get an A, you should be a brain surgeon(not everyone has the know how or the discipline to become a medical practicioner, in fact most don't, frauds wouldn't be able to get through the MCATS).