TO GOOFA -

I think its clear that the Bush team wanted to invade and depose Saddam. I think the unsaid reason for it is clear in my opinion.

Al Queda is only a branch of the overall problem of Islamic fundamentalism spreading in the Middle East. The war was going on 30 years ago when Nixon said there was going to be a huge confrontation with Islamic fundamentalism at some point. You know of all of the prior attacks so I won’t rehash them.

The only way to get at the root of the problem is to try and moderate and somewhat democratize one state there. Iraq was the only card in the deck and the move from a geo-strategic vantage point had a lot of advantages all around including the gradual lessening of Saudi dependence, at least the Pentagon’s view. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan were all out for different reasons.

So you can hold it against the Bush team if you like but in the end g-d willing Iraq will hopefully become a jack to slowly change and turn the tide in the Middle East. I am not hopeful but if it turns bad then I would say stay out of skyscrapers, airplanes, malls and buses for the rest of your life.

Mike