re: You would prefer we attack Saudi Arabia at this point?
Iraq is a threat, because of Saddam's habit of waging conventional war, and his (potential) for getting and using WMD. Iraq has been a very minor threat as a Terrorist Safe Haven. So, we can fairly easily Deter/Contain Iraq, with minimal conventional-war forces.
IMO, Saudi Arabia is, today, a greater threat to the national security of the U.S., than Iraq. Here's what we should be doing, instead of attacking Iraq:
1. make a specific list of actions (not words, actions), the Saudis must take, and a timetable, or we will add them to our list of "nations that support terrorism".
2. this list would include things like ending fund-raising for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. Close the Madrassahs, or change them so they don't preach Holy War against the U.S. and Israel. It'll be a long list, because the Saudis are doing so many things to hurt us.
3. If the Saudis don't agree, start a campaign to put pressure on them. Begin with quiet, polite diplomacy.
4. Escalate steadily: un-quiet diplomacy, PR campaigns, then curtailing trade, no weapon's sales, covert and public support for anti-clerical groups, trade embargoes.
5. this campaign has a lot better chance of succeeding, if we first have Energy Independance, and force a compromise peace in the Israeli-Palestinian war:
Message 18552556
6. if everything else has been tried, and Saudi Arabia is still the Terrorist Safe Haven it is today, then, yes, I see no choice but to do RegimeChange, with 200,000 ground troops if that's what it takes. |
