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...No one has ever gotten these people to all get along (in the absence of an iron fist) before.

A very telling statement. Correct. This is something I think Americans do not understand when they look at other parts of the world. It is the same when they say China should have democracy. Well, that would be nice but if you gave freedom (especially to the workers) what would result? It was the rise of the workers,"the people" that gave rise to the atrocities and horror of the cultural revolution, that sent the educated, doctors and the ruling glass to the farms and fields for reeducation and a farmer to instantly become a doctor.

The exmple of China is just to point up that there are things we do not understand about the other parts of the world. In Arab countries, how can if be that people don't want freedom? Or that a father would be proud to send his 16-year-old son into a crowd with bombs strapped around his waist?

Personally, I think a better approach may have been a complete isolation of the Arab countries until they got their mess in order. No flights, no visits, no tourist, no exchange of business, no student visas, no visas of any kind for any reason. Let their business community and their leaders suffer for the actions of the factions and the fanatical.

I'm sure someone will take this apart and that is fine. I'd love to know that I am wrong on some of this.

I don't think that you are wrong about how much of a mess it is, but I think you know that your idea isn't gonna happen.

I don't know how it will turn out, and I am not sure it will "turn out" in my lifetime. I think if it will work to outwardly control the middle east into reformation, it will take more than a generation.

My worry is that Americans in particular have a short attention span, and a low tolerance for anything but immediate success.

I keep repeating this idea on various posts, so sorry if I sound like a broken record: Iraq is full of people who hate each other. Sometimes miracles happen and people can unite over the victory of a common enemy they all hate, but when they sit down tomorrow and try to actually figure out what to do next, it will not be smooth. They will need a mediator of incredible skill to work this out. Prayers for Colin Powell are needed now. I am glad he is with us (just try to imagine his predecessor) We very definately can't leave this place unguarded. Prayers that our country, and our media can be patient enough to weather the bumps without running for home on the first bad day.

We will have bad days. When we do, we either kill them all, wall them in, or try to be less crazy than they are and be smart and wise for the long term. And I don't even know what that means. I don't know if anyone does. We will make mistakes. After those mistakes, we will know more about it than we did before.