Mario Loyola believes the seizure of those British sailors and marines by the Iranians is simply a smokescreen designed to fend off a military strike by the United States. Loyola believes such a strike is absolutely necessary to prevent the Iranian government from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the Iranians continue to turn up the volume on the stand-off by parading the captured Brits in front of the TV cameras. Clearly, the Iranians understand that they are playing to the anti-war public in the U.K., Europe and the United States. That would explain the content of the letters from the female captive.

Dick Morris says there is a legislative way to stand up to the Iranians.

One German takes his countrymen to task for their reflexive anti-Americanism, which was highlighted by a recent poll in which a majority of Germans said the U.S. was a more dangerous country than Iran.

In Iraq, Moqtada al-Sadr had a speech read for him during Friday prayers in which he condemns the continued U.S. "occupation" of his country. The radical Shiite cleric went into hiding when the recent U.S. troop surge began. Some say he is in Iran, while his supporters say he remains in Iraq. The speech also calls for a massive demonstration in the coming days, and it was accompanied by a greater visibility for his Mahdi Army. I suspect this is part of the Iranians campaign to ratchet up the pressure against the U.S. to try and ward off the attack that they expect is coming (a belief that was, no doubt, bolstered by word that an additional U.S. carrier battle group was headed toward the Persian Gulf).

In Israel, the Prime Minister rejects any possible "right of return" for Palestinian refugees in response to a peace plan the Arab nations are pushing.

In Russia, a supporter of President Putin urges a constitutional amendment that would allow him to continue serving as President.

Popular Mechanics has this response to the ravings of Rosie O'Donnell.