The U.N coming crashing down if the U.S. acts unilaterally wtih perhaps Britain, Australia and Canada? Interesting. But have you thought of the flip side? What if every other nation becomes so tired and threatened of U.S. unilateralism and their "big stick" that they decide to form alliances and the like to counter the U.S?
Anyway, its gonna be interesting watching all the manouvering (sp) of the major players in the next couple of days/weeks.
There are risks to Bush's plans. Battle in Iraq could result in a reverse, or there may be some Islamist activity in other parts of the Middle East. We might face another atrocity at home.
One of the least likely outcomes is some anti-U.S. coalition organized to oppose us. I can't imagine any Western governments actually acting to resist us over Iraq. Consider that the Europeans found it hard enough to pay for their defense, much less organize independently of us, when the Soviet Union quite clearly threatened to overrun them. Whatever their rhetoric, the Europeans understand that they are American allies.
Russia has much more to gain by remaining on our good side than by protecting Iraq. China would much rather fight its battles with us over matters much more important to it. Like Taiwan. Each of them has a lot of mutual emnity, more than our hostility to Iraq can overcome.
The Arab countries are not capable of more than duplicity and empty threats. They are incapable of organizing.
Anyway, the threat from Iraq is quite real. The president is right to press forward against it. Better the U.N. be inspired to renewed anti-American gossiping than the U.S. face a nuclear-armed, hostile, and determined Iraq.