Abscence Of A Pearl Harbor Moment

[PornoDoggy]

Mike, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Saddam's gotta go. I don't think making Saddam go will materially contribute to the demise of the likes of alQaida - and in fact may strengthen alQaida by rallying more people to its cause. If I were President you wouldn't have seen a pattern of arbitrary indifference and outright hostility toward international agreements well displayed before 9/11. If I were the President my focus would be on alQaida, Afghanistan, alQaida, North Korea, alQaida, and Iraq.

The very first thing I'd do is muzzle the Secretary of Defense and any other moron in government talking silliness like "new" and "old" Europe. It is factually innacurate; diplomaticly, it's somewhat like striking the guy you hope to be your second with the glove across his face. I'd tell the SecDef to run the services and leave the diplomacy to the Secretary of State. I'd tell Connie Rice to calculate the significance of the sum of the 18 nations "firmly behind us" and do a pie chart comparing their significance with that of France and Germany.

If I had proof of a link between Iraq and alQaida, I'd share it with the world. Not in some technical mumbo-jumbo presentation, but with the quiet rage and dignity of Adli Stevenson at the U.N. in '62. I'd do the same thing with any proof that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

I definitely would NOT use the "we've got the troops there, we have to use them" routine as a rationale, particularly with Europeans, to whom the folly of Wihlem and Franz-Joesph, et al. - "ve have mobilized, and ve must follow ze plan!" - may not be seen as a persuasive arguement.

Assuming that my motivation is disarming and removing Saddam, and not showing how macho I am, then I'd be willing to "back down" without war if Saddam was disarmed and removed peacefully. If I have to leave the troops there for a while without a war for that to happen, I'd be willing to do that. Quite frankly, I'd welcome it, particularly if I didn't have an appetite for nation-building - because if I did I could think of far better places to take on as my second project. If Saddam is disarmed and removed peacefully without the use of force the victory is still mine. My goal would not be to go in and "kick some raghead ass", which I suppose could lead to the disappointment of some constituencies - but it's unlikely that President PornoDoggy would have gotten many of their votes anyway, since his support would come from liberals, tree-huggers and other traitors.

I'd make a PUBLIC statement that the existing contracts between any nation and Iraq would be honored once the regime was removed - and that the U.S. relinquishes any right to profiteer from the war. And mean it.

I'd sit down with the Permanent members of the Security Council in CONSULTATION and work out a timetable for the Inspectors. And no - it would not be a year, or five years.

Would I go in alone? Not if I could help it. And I suppose if I couldn't help it, I'd do what nations have always done when they want a war. I'd provoke the sonofabitch.

Watch the skies over the no-fly zone.