[Flashpoint]

I can't say I disagree with anything Tillman says here. The horrible horrible part is that it was all perfectly clear it was going to occur three years ago. The nightmare scenerio has unfolded exactly as a worst case scenerio.

There were no WMD's, and no connection to 9/11.

Afghanistan is now a backwater falling into herion production and will return to the warlords as soon as the western powers leave. The opportunity to save a failed state was wasted because Bush wanted to spin 9/11 into an excuse for taking out Saddam.

There was no exit strategy for Iraq, and it has become the Vietnam replay we all feared.

Iran and North Korea were ignored and now have nuclear weapons thanks to the staunch US ally Pakistan.

As to the future?

The US will eventually cut their losses and leave Iraq. Iran will immediately begin attempting to convert segments of Iraq to an islamic state (don't forget Iraq was secular under Saddam - not a good place by any means, but not a religous fanatic either).

Civil war will ensue between Shi-ites (profanity filter activates when I spell it correctly) and Sunnis as various entites declare autonomy.

Just wait a few years till the Kurds declare independance and Turkey invades northern Iraq (Kurdistan). You'll just love it.