[thecavemaster]

To my knowledge, Iran has never stated, "the total annihilation of the United States" as a policy goal, though they have said this of Israel. The policies and practices (both expressed and hidden) of the US government in much of the Middle East produce the radicalism in our direction that we see. When's the last time you saw a Swedish flag burned on the streets of Tehran? If the world is viewed as a chess game, and one nation views itself as the chess master, moving pieces around seeking the checkmate of "superior strategic advantage," what is it we exactly expect from people's who feel they are being used as pawns?