Well, yeah. For that matter, Neville Chamberlain over 43 anytime.

The first rule of any war is to identify your enemy. An easy enough task after 9/11 and Bush II reacted correctly when he invaded the country harbouring the mastermind behind that attack. Every other decision taken should have been based on weakening that enemy. Invading Iraq was exactly the wrong thing to do, and just as Bush senior was warned of this in 1991, so too was Bush Junior by his generals in 2001.

The better man listened. The other will go down in history as one of our worst presidents ever.

Please, please tell me you don't live in Florida, Legion.

On the other hand, I've a feeling that America's foreign policy will start to work only when America realizes that its national interest lies exactly in not acting in its national interest.

What I mean is this: only the bad guys object to an honest, impartial and hard-working policeman for whom "protect and serve" is more than just a slogan. A good cop is an asset to his community and puts everyone else's interests before his own, which ends up serving his own interests - respect, affection, and a mostly peaceable community to live in.

But no-one likes a cop who has his own interests at heart first and foremost - who's usually looking for a "take", is never there when you need him and applies the law only when it suits him while looking the other way when his pals commit crimes. A bad cop should get out of the law enforcement business because he only makes his neighborhood worse.

As a non-American I've no objection to America being the world's policeman if America will be an honest cop, a "protect and serve" cop. No-one else is big enough for the job at present. But better no cop at all than a cop on the take.

Regards, Cernig

The problem was, and still is, that Bush _isn't_ much of a decider, at least as far as rational decisions go. He has shown a terrible propensity to go with his initial gut reaction, and then never re-evaluate decisions for any reason, thus negating the value of _any_ advice. We've all seen it - once someone has his trust & loyalty, they can do no wrong - period. No matter how badly they actually screw up.

No matter what Bush says, no matter what Baker suggests, there will be no changes in Iraq, or the GWOT, unless Congress absolutely forces it - mark my words.

Whoa. I'm leery of Bush 41 nostalgia, but that needs some 'splainin'. Are you referring to the stationing of U.S. troops in Arabia?

If so, no foul. Had Osama not been given that to bitch about, he would've found something else. It's not like he was going to go, "excellent, the American devils have met my demands; I shall now lead a simple life and cultivate my garden."