Jim, your feelings echo mine but in a more pessimistic way. This operation we have begun in Iraq is not a doomed experiment. Far from it. We have the opportunity to enhance our standings with the Muslim world. Today in the NY Times there was an article about the starving people who welcomed the food rations issued by American troops on the move. Despite the language barrier, the people have been able have adopted the universal sign language of rubbing their stomachs or pointing to their mouths. Many of them offered up their Dinars in the hopes that Americans would welcome the chance to trade some food for a war memento. The people hate America largely because they have been trained to. We see this as an American war IN Iraq. They see it as an American war ON Iraq. One little letter, big difference in meaning (Tom Friedman wrote about this). We have this great opportunity to establish a mutally beneficial partnership with the Arab world. We probably won't though. We'll encounter international opposition, and face financial burdens that we won't want to bear.

With regards to oil, Bush has constantly said that the oil is the Iraqi's. I don't believe him for a second. However, I remain optomistic and believe that an equal partnership with Iraq could be mutually beneficial.

When the war is over and the fighting has stopped, there will be an American military government temporarily (we hope) installed. I have no doubt about this. This will be the sensitive time. The media will attempt to further polarize the Arab middle eastern world against us. This is the time when the situation will be most delicate. There have been talks of military action against Syria and Iran based purely on accusations. If these actions are taken, the Arab image of America will be worsened even more.

The only way for this to work out well is for Bush to allow EQUAL bids allowed for oil control by ALL international firms, and if we work along side, in equality, with Arab leadership to establish stability in Iraq. The Arab empire, once proud and strong, has been steadily demoralized and marginalized for the past many decades. Our occupation MUST appear equal and fair in nature, and we must commit everything, all our resources, to make life for the Arab people better. If we don't, things will collapse.

9/11 happened because the poor terrorists, naive as they are, were taught to believe that America was the one to force the Arab world to be one of have-nots. Partial truth, partial lie. International politics, anarchic in character, and human nature have allowed the strong to rape the poor. The Arab world was a casualty (I don't believe it is all our fault though, far from it). Arab peoples without voices and without representation, in their search for an explanation, were easy targets for the teachings of extremists who sought to place blame entirely on America.

Again, the after war period will be a steep uphill struggle, but the opportunity is there. We just need to approach it with care, caution and prudence. Largely, the people in the Muslim world have been manipulated by both the West AND their own leaders equally. We have an opportunity to show them Arab world that we mean well. Will we take it? Arab consensus says no (consensus is manipulated by the lies told by their meda). We need to make every effort to prove otherwise.

Alex

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