Well. Teribus you certainlt have been busy with that drum beating...

Ahh, as I don't have the luxary of having the endless hours to pudder time, I'll try to be brief.

You start out in your *justifications* pointing out that Iraq has "openly threatened its immediate neighbors 3 times in the last 44 years", which sounds pretty bad. I'd just point out that in the Middle East, that ain't a bad track record. Just look at the Isreali?Palestinian conflict for starters. There are those who were in the US government that feel that the US evewn gave Saddam a wink on the invasion of Kuwait, but that's a different story for a different thread.

Then you go on to say that Saddam believes he won the "Desert Storm" War. Yeah, right...

Well, we could go over the other 6 or 7 points of *justifications* and challenge them, too, but then this would get so long that folks would just skip reading them all.

Then you ask for "agreement".

Well, that's funny, Bush did the same thing last night except he didn't ask. I didn't watch the pep rally but read the text and found a pettern of Bush throwing 2 or 3 *suppostions* out and then saying "We all agree...". (Sounds like Teribus to me. You two in cohoots?....)

The you ask for "evaluation".

Well, if one is to go on *suppositions* only then we would all probably come up with about the same answer. "Garbage in, garbage out."

Then you ask for a "proposed course of action".

Well, not that I have any chopice in the matter, because I don't. Nor do the millions of US citizens who have allready contacted their Congressmen. Nor do the Democrats who have been out manuvered by Bush's PR firm on the issue of "patriotism". (Nice work, I must admit, but reminds me of Germany in the 30's to be perfectly honest...)

So it's gonna be "Bush Doctrine" and more "Bush Doctrine" until man figures out that it won't work over the long run. It will increase incidents of terrorism as it isolates desperate disenfranchished people. It will strain the US's resources, especially if any of the victimes us Vietnem as an example of how to beat the US. Iraq might.

Yeah, Bush said last night that "We will plan carefully" but plan goes in the shredder if Iraq decides to do the "rope-a-dope" and withdraw its military into Bagdad and forces the US into a street fight.

You've heard my ideas. But they are probably too late since Bush is way too Hell bent on huffin-n-puffin and blowing folks houses down.

But I'll go on record once again of saying that if I were the President, I'd have called for an Emergency Middle East Peace Summit, used that drum beating PR money on pursuading full participation and more PR money to get leaders to feel like they were part of something historic and not adjorn the danged thing until there was an inclusive comprehensive plan in place, which involved UN inspectors and peace keepers.

But, like I say, Bush and his folks don't find that course political advantageous, so it ain't gonna happen.

Lastly, if Iraq does force the US into a street brawl, remember this post, and know that some of that blood will be on the hands of those who allowed themselves to be either led like sheep or bullied into submisssion.

Bobert