THERE IS good cause for the surge of concern about Iran in the
Bush administration. Though its Islamic regime has been suspected of
pursuing weapons of mass destruction for some time, powerful evidence
has surfaced in recent months of a race by Tehran to acquire nuclear
bombs. Though Iran has long supported terrorist groups, such as
Lebanon's Hezbollah, there are indications that senior operatives of
al Qaeda have taken refuge on its territory and may have directed the
recent suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia. And though the Iranian
mullahs have always hoped to export their extremist brand of Islam,
they now back some of the most radical clerics in neighboring Iraq,
hoping to hijack the ...