>To think US unilateral action against Saddam would ignite WWIII is an exercise in unreality.

Perhaps, but without unilateral support, we'd be stepping on an awful lot of people's toes......mostly Muslim, a large portion of the world's population.

>What nations would rise up to oppose the the US in military action?

They'd go after Israel.
Just to make a statement.
It would be THEIR Holy War, and a damn good excuse too!

>Unless you have current information about China suddenly switching to Islam this would be a non-issue.

No current information, but those old hard liners wouldn't mind getting in on the blood letting. Especially if Russia and the US tried taking out the Middle East (and let's not say it couldn't get to that).

>The honne is strickly private and defined the terms under which the US can direct their strike from Saudi soil against Saddam.

Yeah, but their stance hasn't changed since Bush first started rumblimg about going into Iraq.
They already know that anti-US sentiments abounded after we started bombing Afganistan.
There were riots in the streets of many Arab countries. So, the Saudis, as major US "allies" may be taking a different a view, or be seen as traitors or commercial buy-outs by supporting any further US state-sponsored "terrorism".
Oh Publius, here we go.......want to duke it out over the Internet?

Or over coffee? LOL