You know ... the more I look at this Iraq thing, the less strategic sense it makes. We have ALWAYS liked dictator-led regimes (as long as they weren't Communist), since the spheres of influence tend to be nice and tidy in these situations and not prone to too many unpleasant surprises (the Shah's fall in Iran notwithstanding ... if we had anybody but that panty-waist Carter in the Presidency, we could have snuffed that shit out before it became a problem). Come on, just LOOK at Iraq ... a sociopathic totalitarian running the show who only makes lip service to Islam ... a guy who has the Mullahs looking over their shoulders every damn day ... THIS is the sort of model we should WANT to spread all over the shithole Muslim world ... do you think that radical Islamists survive long in Saddam's Iraq? Not if they hold their religion higher than loyalty to HIM! This isn't some cesspool like "Palestine" with "the street" running the show ... no, "public opinion" in Baghdad comes from the Presidential Palace. Why the HECK isn't Saddam "our guy" in that region? We could cut a deal with him that would have the Saudis peeing their pants ... and I'm SURE we'd rather have Saddam in power long-term in the region than those Islamist scrumbags!