we have any credibility. I might agree with you that the world would stand with us against Iran if they were actually close to having nukes. But we'd need to be able to prove that. And you seem to have forgotten that we crapped the bed a couple years back on "who has WMDs and who doesn't" so I'm doubting the "rest of the world that knows Iran must be prevented from having nukes" is really all that substantial a group when push comes to shove. Actually, I'll bet if it came down to another premptive strike (the threat of which is our only leverage in the absence of diplomatic and trade ties), Isreal is the only ally that would stand with us. What other leverage do we have? Enlighten me.

Also, what sort of "stage" are we giving thme? Diplomatic relations? How does sitting at a table with our president somehow makes a foreign leader more powerful. What sort of delusions of grandeur do we have in this country that we think allowing foreign leaders to kiss our president's ring equates to a concession.