It is quite possible that Iraq has WMD already and the closest target, the most bang for it's buck, is Israel. Getting a handle on how to defend against this and locating all the launch sites might be one thing that is causing Israel to hold back.
The ultimate goal has not changed. Intermediate tactics may seem confusing, but part of the art of war is deception of the enemy.
I would also point out to you that bin Laden's radicals want to overthrow the Saudi regime as well, instituting their own super-Islamacist state. Yes, there were quite a few hijackers who were Saudi nationals. This does not mean that the prince sent them over here. The Saudis have been buying off these nut-cases for many years, and their stupid policy has risen up to bite them, with tragic consequences for people in the US.
The idea here, I believe, is to help the Saudis get rid of these nut cases by marginalizing them while making the Saudi royal family look like strong leaders. This is to our advantage, because if the royal family is gone, what will fill the void will be a huge headache to the entire world.
It is also helpful to understand that from day one, President Bush said he would divide the enemy. That includes the Arab world, who is being forced to choose between standing with the civilized world and standing with the rogue states. It is not to our advantage to unite the entire Arab world in a war with us. We would win, but the cost in lives would be enormous, and it would not be a wise leader who advocated such a reckless position.
Now, I have given you some points to consider, which I think are at least as well-informed as the critics of President Bush. I hope you will consider them.
That is an interesting thought. I wonder
how many leftists said the same thing
before the dissolution of the USSR?
If this is the case then why not allow Israel to do as they like, since they are the target? I don't think it is true, since it would be in both Israels and the US's interest to announce it to the whole world if it were. However if Israel waits long enough it certainly could become true, at which point a victory will be much more costly in terms of lives lost than if it were fought now. Every extra day gives not only Iraq, but Syria, and Iran more time to develop weapons of mass destruction.
"The idea here, I believe, is to help the Saudis get rid of these nut cases by marginalizing them while making the Saudi royal family look like strong leaders. "
This merely postpones the inevitable. The Saudi royal family has encouraged the form of radical religion that caused 9-11. Don't expect them to change overnight and oppose it. The Saudis cannot get rid of the "nut cases". Why? Because 95% of the Saudi population supports the "nut cases". Which if you think about it makes just about the entire Saudi population "nut cases" themselves. The Saudi people are going to be our enemys no matter what the US does or dosn't do. It is out of our hands. We are simply the wrong religion, and perhaps more importantly the wrong culture.
"It is also helpful to understand that from day one, President Bush said he would divide the enemy. That includes the Arab world, who is being forced to choose between standing with the civilized world and standing with the rogue states."
Who is the more divided, the Arab world or the Western world? Who exactly is dividing who with these appeasement strategies? It has been shown repeatedly that the Arab street respects power, but appeasement makes them bolder.
We are doing them no favors by pretending to be on their side. Why else would a weaker culture attack a stronger one? It is because we have shown by our appeasement that they can get away with it. If we continue, they may attack for real, and the result will be far bloodier than if we deal with them now.
The fact that they have been so successful at dividing the West may prove that they are right after all, and that they are the stronger culture. I will grant you one point for delay which you actually didn't make. We may have to wait untill something truely terrible happens, something far worse than 9-11, in order to unite the Western world. Hopefully by then it will not be too late.