[xzins]

I think your evaluation is a good one. I do disagree with it at one point, though. I do not believe the history and tradition of Islam indicate that they will cease and desist in fomenting terror against the US simply because we pull out and stop using their oil.

There is no nation of any other culture that borders an islamic nation that is not at war with them. Since we are the world's economic behemoth we will of necessity be involved in the economies of all those attacked nations, and we will not be able to ignore it.

They truly are bent on world conquest, and our withdrawal will only embolden them.

Fight the war now. Get it over with. Militarily we are more than capable SO LONG AS we don't try to occupy territory and instead restrict ourselves to overthrowing governments.

[Law is not justice but process]

"There is no nation of any other culture that borders an Islamic nation that is not at war with them."

Not declared war in all cases, certainly, but war nonetheless. I think those who suffered through Indonesia's occupation of Timor, the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus (as well as all Greeks), the Bosnian-Serbian conflict, the entire history of Israel, etc. would all agree with you.

I would say the most interesting war, however, is that going on within the Islamic countries themselves. There is a small but growing minority of Muslims who are fed up with the backwardness of Islam as preached by fundamentalist imams. I have met several during my many years of postgraduate education. I believe the WOT is aimed at putting those people in charge.

Can we succeed? The jury is still out, but the ferocity with which the terrorists are attacking the Iraqi Interim Government sure indicates that THEY think we can succeed and are VERY afraid of us doing just that.