The Unbalancing Helping Hand

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8111290.stm

Good article at the BBC about how Obama's outreach is shaking up Iran's entrenched elites. Outreach seems to be better than labeling the country a member of "axis of evil".

But BushCo never wanted Iran to be a decreased threat, so why really try?

Anyway, I take issue with the last paragraph:

So, although the outcome of the Iranian power struggle remains unclear, the unintended and indirect consequence of President Obama's offer for dialogue may be to have succeeded where threats had previously failed - seriously rattling Iran's hardline clerical establishment.

I beg to differ. Obama is doing this on purpose. He knows how a Chinese Finger Puzzle works - your opponent gets all its strength by having an opponent.