ANALYSIS

Bush's War Rhetoric Reveals the Anxiety That Iran Commands

When President Bush this week raised the specter of World War III if Iran manages to build nuclear weapons, he not only roiled the diplomatic world, he also underscored how much Iran has come to shadow the political dialogue both here in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail.

While Iraq has faded from the Beltway debate for now, Iran has emerged as the top foreign policy topic of the moment. Democratic candidates are arguing about Bush's efforts against Iran, with underdogs accusing front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton of giving the president a blank check. Republican candidates, on the other hand, are vying over who would be toughest on Iran, with each vowing to take military action if necessary.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected international pressure to give up nuclear technology. (By Hasan Sarbakhshian -- Associated Press) TOOLBOX Resize Text Save/Share + Digg Newsvine