I just don't think it is oil. I think it is just about like Phil's post says.

Sure there are some powerful people that are driven by oil but I don't believe that Bush or his administration is locked in with that group.

We have a long term problem looming with radical Muslims. We will try to make Iraq a showplace for democracy and secularism. If we are successful we can stem the tide of radicals and change the nature of the middle east.

While this social experiment is going on we will hope that the the rest of the Arab nations will be reluctant to mess with us. If they do there will be more military interventions. Terrorists will be a problem but they won't be safe anywhere and we will atrite them.

Aside from the oil we have propped up the Saudis because we know that at this time the successor will be a Muslim fundamentalist government. We will not tolerate any expansion of Theocracy in the middle east or anywhere else. When we can be sure of a secular government we will drop the Sauds like a cold deck.

All I can say about this is so far so good. I will stand and watch and cast my vote based on how I perceive our success as it plays out. If diplomacy starts to look hopeful, I will be the first one on the bus.

In the cold war I never felt like it was an us or them situation. I still have an open mind with the Muslims but if it comes down to us or them, they lose. I feel no different about any radical religious movement. No one has shown me that they can be dealt with rationally.