"Carter couldn't stop the Shah from being deposed. I don't think it will come to that for the House of Saud, but what I do expect if Sharon keeps it up is that Abdullah may not survive."

Carter could have kept the Shaw in power if he were willing to face the political consequences. There were other factors that led him ask the Shaw to give it up: Cancer that was killing him and oh yeah, a few American hostages at the American Embassy. Abdullah is as good as the Shaw of Iran at getting rid of his enemies. No strike that: He may be even better.

"As for the sky falling, occasionally it does, but that is a separate matter."

Oh Yeah. I forgot were overdue for the big one. Damn. That kind of puts this whole Mid-East thing in perspective.

"Right now I feel like I'm watching a car wreck in slow motion, but I can't turn my eyes away because I know that debris will be thrown off by the collision."

I think car wrecks, like good hits in football or checks in hockey, are better at full speed.

Scott

P.S. If its in slow motion, there's probably a good reason. Read a good book on crisis management. You can use the Cuban Missle Crisis or the Berlin Blockade Crisis as good examples where "Burning issues" were used as cover for behind-the-scenes slow-motion diplomacy. I'll believe there may be war when I hear that there are massive Arab Troop movements toward the border with Isreal.