[Thermodyne]

Ruatha, your arguments are sound, but the scope is far too limited. The problems in Israel are far more complex. Every time the diplomats are beginning to make headway, it is derailed by the religious factions that hold much of the power base there. Without separation of church and state, there will be no peace in the region.

As to the poverty aspect, you need to study the culture. Kingdoms and such are not for the benefit of all of the people. Even in Iraq, which is not a monarchy, some are intended to be above others. The tribal structures of the region need to be put out the door with Last month’s garbage, they both stink. I think a good dose of universal civil rights would cure a lot of what is wrong in the region.

As to the timing of the war, well let’s just say that tactical considerations are coming into play now. Every day we wait, more Americans will die. What is occurring at the UN has nothing to do with war and the future of Saddam. It is economics pure and simple. When the government of Iraq changes, they will probably stop paying market +% for French goods, they will also probably want to restructure their debt with Moscow. It looks good when the world argues about halting the New American domination of the world, but it is just talk. When the coup took place in Moscow, the world became a Pax Americana. We are at least a decade ahead of every military force in the world, and still maintain a blue water navy to project our influence with. I doubt that any country in the world is willing to spend the trillions that it would take to catch up. Everyone should consider what the situation would be today if the other side had won the cold war. Then they should study history for a few years and see where appeasement and delay have taken the world in the past. Also they should study the French involvement in the region. Remember, it was France who could have prevented Khomeini from ever taking power in Iran. How many millions would that have spared?