[Cicero]

I'm not at all sure that Bush and his advisers don't understand this. They just can't say it. Bush is limited by the political situation in which we find ourselves, after several decades of leftist brainwashing in our schools, colleges, and media. Maybe only a third of the country is really rotten, as they showed by voting twice for clinton. But there is a limit to how openly Bush can pursue this war. As it is, he is under continuous attack even for the little that he has openly said.

If he is re-elected I think he will deal next with Iran and Syria. Everyone who has followed the situation knows that the Saudis are at the bottom of the whole mess, but we cannot deal with them until we have taken care of these other tasks first.

[okie01]

Everyone who has followed the situation knows that the Saudis are at the bottom of the whole mess, but we cannot deal with them until we have taken care of these other tasks first.

And we must give the Saudis every chance to reform themselves. Failing that, we must see to their overthrow by indirect means.

We shouldn't be anxious to assume the role of "Protectors of the Holy Cities" ourselves...

[Cannoneer No. 4]

I'm not at all sure that Bush and his advisers don't understand this. They just can't say it.

But if they lay out the real case, an elegant bank shot that plays off of Middle East psychology and neutralizes four threats with one military operation the operation itself becomes undone because shame and pride will force the players to act against their own (and the US') best interests. So we end up stuck playing at justifying shadow motivations and political opportunists who either don't see the real strategy or don't care about the national interest ankle biting in order to gain power.

[MHGinTN]

When the U.S. electorate scoffs at democrat obstruction and goes ahead with oil exploration for the resources we need to replace the Wahhabi oil of Saudi Arabia, THEN the war on terrorism will have an end in sight. Until we disentangle our economic needs from the clutches of our real enemies, we are pissing against the wind (namely, France, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China).