Bah... I had a nice long post abouw how Forged was wrong, and BF died on me... I will now try a shortened version and hope it sounds even half-way as nice.
As I outlined in another thread, Bush has brought more stability to the Middle East, and world in general, with this war in Iraq. North Korea has reopened diplomatic channels with the US and China -- which closed, violently during Clinton's time. There have been fewere world conflicts during three years with Bush than any one of Clinton's years. Syria has opened their boarders to US, and even UN, Weapons Inspectors. Afganistan and India have signed a nuclear arms agreement. Isreal and Edypt are talking again, but with actual forward momentum.
I'll also direct your attention to the destabilizing force in the Middle East -- that many, over the years, have been predicting would lead to WWIII. It's the severe hatred among Islamic sects. The three, at least major, tribes are Suni, Shi'ite, and Kurd.
The Suni is the smallest tribe, but it holds the most power. It controls the Middle Eastern media, and it controls most, though not quite all, political offices. Forgive me if I'm getting Suni and Shi'ite mixed up, but I believe this is correct (namewise). Saddam Hussien and Osama bin Laden are both Suni. It is mostly the Suni, though not all of them, that hate the US, Christians, Jews, and "godless infidels" who aren't US and aren't Islamic. They are also the ones who we know for suicide bombings and funding terrorist activities. I will point out that this is not all Suni.
The Kurds should be most infamous for the Armenian Genocide in 1907, which inspired Hitler. The Armenians, if you don't know, are Christians. The Armenian Genocide took place in Turkey if you still haven't a clue what I'm talking about. In anycase, the Kurds are more interested in a "balanced" power system. They are less interested, since about the 1920s, in finding anyone to hate. They've helped the US, but they also want their own "Kurdistan." The US would rather prevent this, at the moment at least, for stability reasons.
The Shi'ites are the largest, tribal population, but they hold the least power. They have been persecuted by the Suni, and the most infamous example is when Saddam Hussien gased "his own people" for helping the US during Persian Gulf War I. They are also the majority of people of Iraq who are helping us, now, and they love the US, Bush, and Allies. Kuwait is one of the few countries controled by Shi'ite politicians. The Shi'ites would like nothing better than a democracy -- which is how their tribal councils are set up if I remember correctly. They also have no qualms about Isreal. They abhor the Jihad declared by various Suni leaders -- Osama bin Laden for example.
Also...Isreal has every right to exist. Why? Isreal has existed longer than any Middle Eastern nation. Middle Easterners, in general were a nomadic people until about fifty years ago, after WWII. The British created the countries and boarders of the Middle East. They returned the Holy Lands of the Jews that were stolen from them by multiple invaders and such. Isreal has existed for 4,000 years, plus. There has never been a Palenstine. There haven't even been Palestinians until around 20 or 30 years ago. They are/were nomads with no central homeland. I don't want to go over that, again.
