wulfie:
miko - leaving Iraq's nuclear weapons program unmolested would certainly make it *easier* for anti U.S./Israel/U.K. terrorists to accquire a nuclear weapon. He doesn't support fundamentalist Islam but he'd sure as heck use them as a weapon vs. his enemies.
He is our enemy only because we deemed it so. There is nothing he wants from us other than to leave him alone. He would gladly sell us oil for the same price - even kuwaiti oil. He would not risk his power by supporting terrorists - we know where he lives.
As for unintentional leak, vigorous and restrictive iraqi regime is much more likely to control whatever measly store of nuclear material and knowlegeable personnel than corrupt and out-of control russian government could safeguard it's enourmous stores and thousands of starving technologists.
Giving them a bomb to use vs. Israel is not the same as allowing them to have a presence in his dictatorship.
That may be a valid reason - going there to protect Israel. But why not say so? Or why not let Israelis handle that? They have enough power to deal with Iraq. They do not seem much concerned about Iraqi threat - especially those who build all the new settlements on the land even US does not recognise as theirs...
The same reason why he would not attack US is why he would not do it to Israel - his rule will not survive it if he gets caught in the process or if he succeeds.
Anyway, it is a reasonable statement - (at elast according to knowlegeable israelis), that Israel is not capable of conducting a limited war - or rather they cannot conduct a prolonged war, so they dare not fight a limited one. That follows from their finite stores (of jet fuel, etc), geographic vulnerability and matters of secrecy and surprise - which would be compromised once any conflict starts.
For example once they disclose exit locations of their underground runways by flying against one country, they will be known to all countries. The same goes for other assets and supplies. They cannot afford to suffer losses and disarray while potential enemy militaries have time to find and refine targeting solutions, mobilise unmolested and wipe them out at their convenience.
If any war breaks out, their only option is to smash all their potentially hostile neighbours since they could not afford to leave any one of them intact - Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi - whatever. If the nukes start flying, they will nuke everyone on their list too - starting with Iraq.
There are a lot of fundamentalists in the area that would be willing to take a shot and get to their promised virgins - Hussein is not one of them (he probably has a life-time supply of them anyway).
miko
