I suspect that GWB thought he could ride into Iraq the way the First Daddy did Panama, or Reagan did Haiti.

It would be great before the elections, Halliburton would get the oil, and it would be done.

As that thought has created a world furor, with allies waffling, Saddam playing a very good game of chess, while more and more troops and equipment are getting sand into their orifices, Bush has wound up riding the tiger. Cannot get off.

And now along comes Rambo. The picture of Stallone with his weapon is silly, but there are the devotees, and I'd bet many of the conservatives on these boards secretly believe that's what an armed struggle is like. Rambo will get Osama, by golly!!

They've forgotten the picture of the napalmed little girl in South Viet Nam, or of 58,000 Americans, to say nothing of the Allies and Vietnamese, dead for absolutely no good reason but someone's pride. They never have known "war" except for Rambo, which is like considering The Roadrunner a nature show. EXACTLY like comparing The Roadrunner to a nature show.

There's a good reason the Army wasn't allowed to recruit in many schools. The US Army, under the firm direction of both Democrats and Republicans, squandered lives which should have been spent sparingly, wasted lives which mattered to the people who held them and their families, and didn't deserve to recruit. It wasn't the Army, it was the civilian leadership which should have been banned.

Anyway, I think Bush is in way, way over his head, which could happen easily in even a shallow pool. The tiger has him, even though it wouldn't be a "war", but a slaughter, over in a matter of 10 days, max, in my opinion.

And what would happen after invading Iraq? Halliburton or an equivalent will take over the oil, and the various factions will start fighting amongst themselves AND the US. The Turks are terrified of a Kurdish state, those Kurds are fierce, and that's what Saddam was fighting when he gassed 'em, a secession. Turkey has asked for a guarantee that a separate Kurdish state will not be allowed. As well as $15 billion, or so.

And the US will secure the oilfields, pack up and go home, leaving one heck of a mess. But a Halliburton equivalent will have the oil, and The First Daddy will be proud. As will Thatcher.

And untold numbers of innocent people will be killed and wounded, wind up homeless, and the numbers will increase in the factional crossfire which will be left.

I guess it was a couple of thoughts.

Arf