[adios]

To be honest Andy I have some problems with a unilateraly imposed solution by the US as well. As I posted before Lieberman brought this up today as well and stated that he had problems with Bush's plan for post Saddam Iraq. In my reprint of the WSJ column by an Iraqi regarding the establishment of a constitution and democracy for Iraq enumerated many problems with the US plan post Saddam. Hopefully Bush will heed the advice.

"The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people," Bush told the American Enterprise Institute. "Yet we will ensure that one brutal dictator is not replaced by another."

I interprest this to mean that the intent is for free elections in Iraq. Bush is assuming that a brutal oppressive thug will not be the peoples choice in a free and open election. That seems to be a reasonable assumption if the elections are open and free.

"A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom to other nations of the region,"

I think it's fair to say that almost unanimously people prefer freedom to oppression. You tell me if people in Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia are oppressed. I don't think Bush has ever claimed that removing Saddam will end the conflict between Israel and the Palestiniams. How did our incursion in Afganistan further those ends? How effective the USA campaign in Afganistan was in damaging al Qaeda is open to debate. Apparently you believe it hasn't helped much if this is what you believe you may be right I don't know. As far as I know there are no UN resolutions calling for Saudi Arabia to disarm. I don't believe that Saudi Arabia has invaded Kuwait or lobbed Scud missles at other countries resulting in a UN resolution calling for disarmerment.