Or we can fight them there from here
Coordinate with the Israelis and sweep through syria - down the coas t of the Med - sweep them all into the sea. Take the Saudi oil fields and cut off supplies of petrol to France Germany and China. Then appoint me emperor.
I agree. But worst case that would become moot if chaos reigned. Are our efforts towards Iraq self-governance bootless?
I think the best way to approach Iraq-doubts is to stipulate that in hindsight there very well could have been an alternative, considerably more effective, approach to the War on Terror than the Iraq invasion the way it was done. Perhaps this whatever would have that benefit of, in your words, "fighting them somewhere, now, rather than here, later," and something that would transform the Middle East. Every great achievement such as defeating Fascism and Communism was fraught with setbacks, but also plans that were made stubbornly to succeed.