Look, this war has been in the works for years. The physical occupation of Iraq to be used as a launching pad for US aggression/domination in the region, "stabilization" as it's called -- this is something that Bush hinted at in the 2000 campaign and that the ghouls around him, Perle, Kristol, Ledeen, et al., have been advocating ever since. 9/11 caught them all by surprise, and though the response in the short run was necessary and successful (but another winter looms and more people will starve), it is being used as an excuse to invade and occupy Iraq.
These fuckers could give two shits for rebuilding and feeding Afghanistan, or for fighting al-Qaeda. Iraq! Iraq! This is all we hear. Sure, topple Saddam and his murderous regime. Then what? I mean, Tommy Franks? I can't believe I read that. I thought I hit The Onion by mistake.
"Saturday Night Live" is terrible this year, but last night they had a fine piece near the end of the show. A series of Americans testify about getting screwed by corporations like Enron and the USG, but at the end of each complaint, they said, "Damn you, Saddam!" The bit ended with the narrator saying, and I paraphrase, "Americans aren't really angry at you Saddam. But you'll do for now."
DP