[Mark Bahner]

The United States talks in terms of a War with Iraq much later this year or even in 2003,...

Maybe the Bush Adminstration does. But the Bush Administration is not "the United States." In fact, the President doesn't even have the legitimate authority to go to war, under the Constituion, without a Congressional declaration of war.

...Washington does not have that amount of time before Saddam Hussein becomes a genuine threat not only to the Middle Eastern but to much of Europe and US forces deployed throughout the region.

There's a simple solution to that problem. Washington should remove ALL forces "deployed throughout the region," as well as those deployed in Europe. Washington's legitimate authority is only to defend the United States.

[ohioman]

You are brain dead if you feel that simply "removing all of our forces" from the middle east and Europe will solve our problems. Ever hear of that little thing called WWII?

[Semper]

Washington's legitimate authority is only to defend the United States.

Defending the United States has long ago progressed beyond ignoring what is going on in other parts of the world. If you wait until a problem gets to your borders, the damage will be much more severe (See England and France circa WWII).