Keith, Even as a left wing Quaker, I hope Bush does occupy southern Iraq. Saddaam assassinated a personal friend of mine.
Bill Ward On Tue, 10 Sep 2002 07:37:09 +0100 Keith Hudson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > On the eve of September 11, I'm going to speculate about what Bush > may > announce tomorrow. He needs something very special in order to > continue the > momentum of his Middle East policy and revalidate himself > internationally. > I think he may announce that there has been a serious change in the > Saudi > Arabian government -- and that, among other things, the latter will > announce a serious endeavour to root out Al Qaeda in its country. > > If my guess is correct, what will Bush do then? I don't think he > can > immediately backtrack on his anti-Saddam strategy. He will need to > continue > his invasion plans in order not to lose face but will probably > confine > himself to occupying the Shi'a Muslim part of southern Iraq, and > supervise > the holding of elections there and the inauguration of a > provisional > regional government. > > A lengthy occupation of southern Iraq might or might not have the > effect of > de-stabilising Saddam Hussein's regime (though this is probable over > time, > I suggest) but its primary purpose will be to act as a hostage in > order to > ensure that a new modernist government in Saudi Arabia continues to > reform > its own constitution -- and, at the very least, plans to hold > democratic > elections, institute human rights and reasonable standards of > justice, and > to allow a degree of autonomy to its own Shi'a minority. (And, of > course, > to continue with the major oil and gas projects with western oil > companies > that are now on the back burner!) > > To repeat: this is a speculation of mine but if a change in the SA > regime > doesn't happen tomorrow I'm not going to abandon my main hypothesis > that > the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld policy is far from being what it seems at > present. > > Keith Hudson > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > -------------- > > Keith Hudson,6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England > Tel:01225 312622/444881; Fax:01225 447727; E-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ________________________________________________________________________ > > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
