The interview reveals much history of US involvement in the Iranian movement toward nuclear power. Parallels to the bush advocacy of the de facto abrogation of the non-proliferation treaty to make a deal with India are explored. An intermixed thread of US destruction of any voice for the non-aligned movement and the third world and their press helps explain a lack of effective opposition to nuclear proliferation. The article provides an important alternate, non-demonizing view of Iran, at a time when both would-be emperors and their national press are demonizing that country.

Not to be missed by those following American policy toward Iran. Chomsky recalls how Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger and Paul Wolfowitz all pushed hard for Iran to have access to US nuclear power technology, back in the days when the Shah was in power (and of course trying to dominate the Gulf and the entire Middle East). Most countries in the world support Iran's effort to develop nuclear power, and even most Americans do as well. But their views mean nothing in the world of Washington power politics, Aipac, and Israeli militarists wanting the US to attack Iran or help Israel to do so.