I agree that we're not doing it primarily for the oil, but we can't afford to ignore the oil either. I believe Bush is fundamentally a moral man of vision, but he is also a practical man who knows how to avoid the traps so many idealistic visionaries fall into. As long as the Saudis have their oil weapon, it will be very difficult to deal with them as they must be dealt with. We need to control the oil not to enrich ourselves but to be able to deal with the Arab fundamentalists without bringing down the world economy.
And I agree with you on Iran. One side effect of our war with Iraq will probably be an internal revolution in Iran, which will depose the Mullahs.
"As long as the Saudis have their oil weapon, it will be very difficult to deal with them as they must be dealt with. We need to control the oil not to enrich ourselves but to be able to deal with the Arab fundamentalists without bringing down the world economy." Dealing with the Saudis is a two-fold problem. First, of course, is their controlling position in both oil production and reserves. But, between Iraq and Russia, the Saudi oil weapon can be effectively neutralized.
The second is a dicier proposition. The Saudi family owe their position to their appointed role as "protectors of the Islamic holy places" -- Mecca and Medina. Thus, effectively separating the clerical from the secular, when it comes to sovereignty in the Arabian peninsula, is going to be tricky.