So where do you make the connection between Saudi terrorists acting out and Iraq ?????????

Two of the main complaints of the terrorists is that (a) there are American troops on Saudi soil; and (b) economic sanctions are imposing an undue hardship on Iraqi civilians.

The problem with the status quo is that it is unmaintainable. We may not be currently engaged in a war, but there are American and British pilots that patrol the region, risking their lives, every day of the year for the last eight years. This may not be a full-scale war, but from an Iraqi perspective, they are violations of their territorial integrity.

Now tell me how we get out of this mess? Should we stop patrolling the no-fly zones? Should we remove troops from Saudi soil? Should we lift the economic sanctions?

Being of pacificistic tendency, I'm all for avoiding a further escalation of the conflict. In fact, I'm all for removing our troops and lifting economic sanctions. And I'm all for removing the war premium ($6 a barrel) on oil.

Perhaps you mistake my reading on the situation with my personal preference? I don't think it too farfetched to assume that public opinion will be swayed in favor of intervention if more significant terrorist attacks occur. I also think that there is a strategy of deterrence being played out - and since deterrence is fairly ineffective when it's aimed at individuals, it's not unreasonable to assume that the strategy is aimed at rogue states - something along the lines of terrorist actions resulting in further meddling in MidEast affairs not less.