Go back to 1990? Okay.

The neo-conservatives (read some of the articles here for the general thrust of their political philosophy and their plan for America's place in the world as the only remaining superpower) were very unhappy with George the First when he didn't go all the way into Iraq during the first Gulf War, depose Saddam, and set up a puppet government. Purpose:   not necessarily to get Iraqi oil for ourselves (although that wasn't off the table and we certainly wouldn't be reluctant to siphon off what we needed), but primarily to have our hand on the tap. Whoever controls the spigot has much of the rest of the oil-dependent world (read "China," probably the next country most likely to challenge the sole superpower status of the United States). With the energy situation what it is, the Middle East is one of the world centers of geopolitical power, and whoever is in control there pretty much says what goes.

Several people have reported that within three days of George the Second's inauguration, George's edict was, "Find me an excuse to invade Iraq."

911 was a God-send to the Bush administration. I personally don't think they had anything to do with it (although there are many who do), but there is considerable evidence (assertions by various intelligence agents and agencies) that the Bush administration was fully aware of the possibility, but chose to ignore it.

There is plenty of documentation for all of this. I haven't time to dig it out at the moment—not because it's hard to find, but because there's so damned much of it, and anybody willing to look at it will have no trouble finding it—but if you insist, I will. It makes fascinating reading.

Don Firth