From ex-Centcom leader Gen. John Abizaid at CSIS on Sept. 17:

"Iran is not a suicide nation. I mean, they may have some people in charge that don't appear to be rational, but I doubt that the Iranians intend to attack us with a nuclear weapon. ... I believe that we have the power to deter Iran, should it become nuclear. There are ways to live with a nuclear Iran. Let's face it, we lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we've lived with a nuclear China, and we're living with (other) nuclear powers as well."

"War, in the state-to-state sense, in that part of the region would be devastating for everybody, and we should avoid it — in my mind — to every extent that we can. On the other hand, we can't allow the Iranians to continue to push in ways that are injurious to our vital interests."

"I believe the United States, with our great military power, can contain Iran — that the United States can deliver clear messages to the Iranians that makes it clear to them that while they may develop one or two nuclear weapons they'll never be able to compete with us in our true military might and power. ... We need to press the international community as hard as we possibly can, and the Iranians, to cease and desist on the development of a nuclear weapon and we should not preclude any option that we may have to deal with it."

Meanwhile, from IAEA's Mohammed ElBaradei:

"I would not talk about any use of force. ... There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 700,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons. ... I do not believe at this stage that we are facing a clear and present danger that requires we go beyond diplomacy. ... We need not hype the issue."