Why can't we alienate or destabilize Russia?
They've continued to crap on the U.S. all along and tried to bully their neighbors, so why can't we?
Regarding the WMD and Russia alleging moving it. The whole thing doesn't make sense for a variety of reasons. Most of all, the claim that the Russians would pack up the WMD and ship it off to Syria is illogical. Why would the Russians not just ship it back to Mother Russia? Why would they risk putting it in the hands of Islamists who might sell the WMD to Islamists battling Russia? Do I think the WMD was spirited out of Iraq - yes. Do I think the Russians did it? I wouldn't rule anything out completely, but I don't buy the "took it to Syria" nonsense.
If you ask me, the Russians were there destroying evidence of their own complicity in Oil for Food, etc., and not helping Saddam with the WMD transfer. I have no proof, of course, but just a hunch.
Destabilize or Alienate Russia? To what end? How would that make us more secure? There are a LOT of nasty nasty players in that region of the world who would LOVE for Russia to become destabilized and these nasty folks are not too damn friendly to us.
Because a destabilized Russia is an unstable, and therefore unpredictable, nuclear power. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
We will go out of our way not to alienate Russia or China. If this involves Bush losing ratings in the polls about WMD, they will do it, because the Business would would scream if our relations with those two countries would be hurt.