Condi Rice spoke along similar lines recently when queried about the fact thatBush has totally reversed past Kissinger/Scowcroft policies of simply going along with existing ME tyrranies in the supposed interest of regional stabilization. She said that it was clear that the supposed stable situations weren't, and that therefore the US assumed the risk of dealing with the change while knowing full well that some possible outcomes could be worse.

I really like that line of thinking. Knowing that stability is an illusion, might as well get involved and have SOME influence in the outcome. For decades you'd hear US Presidents speak out for freedom in Eastern Europe, Asia (China), South America and elsewhere. But never for the ME. That's all changed now. Also gone is our past cold war tactics of proping up dictators just to ensure stability, something I was never comfortable with. Were I a member of the House of Saud, I'd be somewhat concerned.