So, why Saddam, and why now.
I totally agree with you, and it is simple. Iraq makes an excellent first target -- we need the unfettered access to the oil, it is politically the easiest target, and beating the pants off Saddam will make the the rest of the MidEast situation much cleaner.
As I've said here ad nauseum, the ordering of the target nations is being carefully chosen to reflect not only the threat, but the military strategy and the politics of the situation. Frankly, we could NEVER have gotten the political approval to move against the Saudis or Syrians; but once Saddam is defeated we will have much greater leverage against these other problems.
NK is a different matter, because the previous administration has allowed them to get nukes. It totally changes the dynamic.
But I do believe it is simple. Iraq presents a huge threat, and they're both politically and militarily "easy" to deal with.
The way you solve huge problems is to take small, manageable chunks of them, solve the chunks, and consolidate. That's precisely what Bush is doing.
I think we basically agree from what you said, though... |
