[Cowperson]

No Cow, you have minimalized the PNAC vision papers as being a footnote. What I said was that without 911 it likely would have taken a longer period to get into Iraq. I don't think for a minute that they would not be right where they are today, with or without Iraq. Richard Clarke has stated repeatedly that Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld were talking about getting into Iraq right after their appointments, well before 911. This was going to happen come hell or high water, it was just convient for them to have 911 to spin up their plans quicker.

Talk is cheap. The end of every administration reveals the kooky things that were talked about. Truman was going to nuke China. Johnson was going to nuke North Vietnam. Did they? Not that I noticed.

I think you're kidding yourself if you think that Iraqis would vote for anything that America put forward, in an up and up election.

Right now, Hamad Karzai seems to be the poll leader in Afghanistan, helped by some warlords who have apparently told their constituents if they don't vote Karzei they'll have their homes burned to the ground!! Now that's a campaign Aghan-style!!

I haven't seen a poll on Allawi but there are sufficient and credible polling services operating - including Gallup - that we should have a look at some numbers in the near future.

Before this conflict even started you knew this day would arrive - elections. No surprises in that regard at least. Bring it on!!

Frankly, because of the cultural slant that Iraqis would likely have, it would make complete sense for them to elect a theological government,

Why?

There's a declared Islamic party in power Turkey which doesn't appear to be broadly radical. It's not an issue of an Islamic government. Its an issue of whether one election is followed by another and another OR, the Islamic government seizes control for life as in Iran.

As I said earlier, in the last year we saw a poll of Saudi's showing a majority admired Osama Bin Laden but only about 8% would want him in charge. In Iraq, another poll found a majority admired Mucky al-Sadr but only about five to eight per cent would want him running things.

Small things like that can tell us something. So can the fact al-Sadr says he's not going to run for office.

Anyway, we're going round in circles yet again. You said your piece. I said mine.

Now we'll see.

Cowperson