Exageration IMO
We are not a bad off as they say and it will not take as long as they say to catch up.
I imagine we could take out iraq without any help what ever but I believe we are weighing the priority against the cost of acting alone. We will do what has to be done.
As far as the Middle East goes we are on Israel's side and our private conversations with them while all this is going on would be interesting to hear. Not to say that we buy into the total equivalence of 911 to Israel's problems. They have played dirty with the Pals and there must be some reckoning.
I believe everything we are doing is designed to facilitate our plan to accomplish goals on our own terms and so far nothing has gone drastically wrong.