[Mike Darancette]

I wonder what is really going on here. We fiddle around while our recognized enemy (Iraq) ramps up WMD. Iraq's historical enemy Iran gears up WMD. Russia signs a trade pact with Iraq.

This sounds like the late 1930's all over again. Will Iraq attack Iran, taking the Western Part while Russia Takes the East? This would give Russia an oil pipeline path from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Sea.

[Timesink]

This sounds like the late 1930's all over again. Will Iraq attack Iran, taking the Western Part while Russia Takes the East? This would give Russia an oil pipeline path from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Sea.

I think Russia's just in it for the money. They know Iraq's going to be a parking lot within the next six months or so, and figured, "Hey, if they want our technology for X billion dollars, why not? We get paid up front, and the technology ends up evaporating in a nuclear cloud like everything else. No harm, no foul."

[mikhailovich]

Who would you suggest Russia sign trade pacts with? Give me 10 countries that would please you, and 10 countries that would not be seen as competing with the U.S. for trade. And 10 countries with enought GDP to matter. Let's see if you can do it.