If the war on Iraq goes ahead as planned, and it seems that no amount of discussion, reasoned or otherwise is going to change Smirky's mind since he's had it "made up" or made up for him since at least 2000 (maybe before, it's debatable). What happens when the war becomes the terrorists single biggest recruiting tool in the Islamic sphere of influence world-wide? We are facing the possibility that the same relatively apathetic young Muslim male (or even female in some places) who would normally discount the rhetoric of an extremist like OBL, or such rehetoric would at least fail to overcome their own self-induced lethargy might become galvanized enough to "rally to the cause". After all, isn't that what happened in Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded, and wasn't one of those disaffected, (not poor, just bored?) young men who was a faithful adherent to the tenets of Islam not a young Osama bin Laden?

I'm not sure if this is really an idle line of thinking, or if I'm way off-base here. Would an invasion of Iraq bring forth the next OBL? Now that would really be developing a Weapon of Mass Destruction and once again, the US would bear the responsibility.

For more than one reason, before heading into Iraq with guns blazing amidst the rockets red glare, I remind the 1600 Crew: Remember Afghanistan.