I'm curious about a couple of things. When America invades Iraq, Saddam will undoubtedly use whatever chemical and/or biological weapons he has at his disposal, especially as the armies move toward Baghdad. Does anyone know what, if any, Bush's response will be? Based on the last war, it is reasonable to conclude Saddam will also lob a few Scuds loaded with chemicals toward Israel. It is also reasonable to believe Israel will not sit on the sidelines as they did last time. What will their response be this time? How likely is it this war will escalate into other Arab countries? And will Israel use their nuclear missles?
I guess my biggest concern about invading Iraq is about what will happen the day after Saddam is deposed. Will America, or the UN, be able to build a stable government there to fill the vaccuum? How long will American troops stay in Iraq? I'm afraid the longer they are there the more possibility of local fundamentalist reaction. And if we were unable to capture the head of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, what makes us think we will capture Saddam?
While I believe war is evil, I also believe sometimes it is necessary. I think in America's history there have been only two wars that were necessary. I would hope there is a plan, a vision though for what happens after the war. I believe the long term solution is to help the Arab moderates throughout the region gain credibility with the general population while at the same time we are standing up to the radical fundamentalists. Those two goals may be incompatible, but an effort needs to be made to finally bring a modicum of stability to that region of the world.