Now that we're there, the French want us in Iraq. It's why they "caved" on the previous post-war resolutions. From their POV, if we've got the bulk of our forces stuck in Iraq fighting an essentially unwinnable guerrilla war, we're not off meddling elsewhere.

If the French or the Russians were seriously opposed, they would have used their veto and then played Sphinx.

Unwinnable? We won.

Derek:

If you're thinking of Vietnam or Afghanistan as the prototype for your "essentially unwinnable guerrilla war", remember that the Mặt Trận Giải Ph�ng Miền Nam Việt Nam (Viet Cong) were supported by the Chinese and Russians, and the Afghan Muhajadeen were supported and supplied by the US.

So, who's sponsoring the Iraqi Fedayeen ?
Sure, Syria and Iran might be providing intelligence and safe harbor, but they're not going to re-supply and train the Fedayeen.

There may be many nations and societies that wish the US were not in Iraq, or hope that America fails and is embarrassed, but who will actively oppose us ?

OJ,

We haven't won anything. The militias we were fighting are still there exerting influence. We only retreated. We dare not leave for fear they'll overturn our new puppet government. Baghdad is far more unsafe today than when we showed up, both for our troops and for civilians. All you have here is a lot of papering over of f***-ups so that boobs can say, "See, uh-hunh, we won."

Michael,

I'm think more along the lines of Lebanon and even Palestine. Even tenuous supplies, guerrilla forces inflicted stalemate and even defeat on a far more powerful enemy over time. And Israel had a far greater interest in winning. We simply don't, as we proved with both Fallujah and Najaf, where we retreated, or should I say "repositioned."

As for training, it doesn't take much to learn how to fire an RPG. That's why they're so loved over there, and Iraq has an entire generation who learned to use them and can train the next one. In the end it's unwinnable; it's like beating sand.

There's a Kurdistan, a Shi'astan and the fate of the Sunni is undetermined. That's a win.

Derek you're delusional if you don't realize the facts of this matter. Stop watching the alphabet Networks and read about the situation from people who are actually there.

Regarding Iran/Syria: They together with Hizbullah will fund/assist/support/organize/direct the insurgency in Iraq until it is made clear to them, in terms that they can understand, that it is not in their interest to do so. How "final" such an understanding is would depend on the terms.

Regarding Israel's inability to overcome its enemies: Civilized nations are not supposed to destroy their enemies. (There are exceptions, however.) This is why the terror war of attrition will continue unabated until the Palestinians and their allies feel they can launch a knockout blow (though to try to do so would be questionable strategy, since the attrition is working so well); or until Israel tires of that terror war of attrition and its water-on-rock threat of annihilation.

Regarding French/Russian rapprochement to the US/Allied position on Iraq: They smile. They nod their heads gravely and they grasp hands resolutely. But might they just be a little nervous about what might be revealed in the upcoming, projected, trial of Saddam (assuming this will occur)? The only question, here, though, is whether such revelations will even be reported, given that the level of "distractions" during the projected trial will be rather huge--or whether they will be believed, or deemed important, given the jaundiced eyes that will be supposedly reporting them.

The Iranians are the enemies of the Syrian Ba'athists.

Um, sure oj, whatever you say....

Iran and Syria are going to have to stop whatever they might currently be doing in Iraq, once the Iraqi gov't takes over.

At that point, it's not trying to dislodge an occupying invader, it's fomenting sedition.
A casus belli.

Israel is moving towards being able to deliver a knockout blow to the Palestinians.
As oj has been arguing, once Palestine is a nation, then if the PA won't do anything about cross-border terrorist activity, Israel can respond with great force.
They won't be abusing an occupied people, as is currently the zeitgeist, they'll be delivering retribution to an enemy nation's population.

Michael nails it about Israel. And it might not even take 6 days this time.

But that is precisely why Palestine is not going to declare itself a nation anytime soon. At least not while Israel is still around.

One of the main reasons, anyway. The other main reason being that declarations of statehood mean, essentially, recognizing Israeli statehood.

The third main reason being that it's accomplishing its goals, thank you very much, without having to declare itself a nation.

So far.

Now, about those goals....

Barry:

Which is why you can't leave it up to them to decide. Those who propose to do so only aid the terrorists.