Again, if we go into Iraq, we're going to be there for YEARS and our people WILL DIE at the hands of fanatical suicidal bombers. During those years, the anti-US sects in the OTHER countries will be gaining political power and we'll have a huge disaster brewing.

That's better than 3000 people killed (non-combat, might I remind you) in the Towers?

Two choices. Clean out the rat's nest, or leave it entirely. Leaving is, unfortunately, not a choice because of our stupid, stupid dependence upon the oil. Drilling in every wildlife habitat in Alaska (even if, which won't happen, it would wipe out every animal in Alaska) is more desirable than sucking oil from Saudi Arabia.

Hell, everyone in that region (except Israel) already hates us. Witness the street celebrations held by "the people" on the Sept. 11 bombings. Most of those governments kiss our government's ass to get foreign aid. Saudi Arabia needs us there because without us they'll be a province of Iraq. Our Saudi "friends" fund terrorist movements out the wazoo, and funded our beloved Trade Center bombers. (IMO, we should withdraw all military forces and aid to Saudia Arabia and other supposedly "friendly" [haha] governments in the area, until they stop speaking out of both sides of their mouth, yacking about how they like us on CNN and denouncing us on state-supported radio and TV.)

Every place there was a documented celebration of September 11, I agree with Jerry Pournelle: go in, give an hour's warning, bulldoze the ground, annoint it with salt, and errect a monument to our victims.

(But I suppose we can't do that because, dammit Jim, thair's oil in dose sands.)

If we were independant of the region for oil, we could withdraw everything and let everyone there kill themselves for all we care. Perhaps we'd continue to support Israel, as our only real ally in the region, but that's OK with me. Support the Saud? Egypt? Pakistan? hell, no, you want our support, you gotta show it.