It will, of course, be a short war - it's the peace that has me scared. In my regular trolling of the editorial columns, I came on one that discussed how the Pentagon had covered "all the worst case scenarios" - Saddam spreading smallpox, VX, breaching dams, etc., etc. Nothing on the ones I am worried about - what if Saddam just disappears, like bin Laden? How do we know he hasn't already smuggled some of his chemical/biological nasties over the border into Syria? How do we stop those, or any other leftovers, from getting into terrorist hands? What do we do if Turkey _does_ invade northern Iraq, to supress the Kurds? And of course, all the non-military questions - How much effort is the administration really willing to put into rebuilding Iraq? How bad is the final bill going to be, and how long are they going to put off telling us?

Came across another article that discussed the divide between California and the Rest of the U.S. (oddly enough, a breakdown I deal with regularly, although in a very different context). Are we really the only ones questioning the war and the administration? Is it really not possible to understand that one can want to support the troops, without wanting to send them into a war? That one can be a loyal American, and still think that America does some things wrong?

A friend of mine is certain that Bush cannot be re-elected, that people will remember all of this, and that even a quick war, with low casualties all around will not make people forgive him for the damage done to the economy, the environment, the educational system, and our international reputation. I hope he's right....but people have amazingly short memories, and an ability to completely ignore facts.

I hope it is an "easy" war. I hope we truly can free the Iraqis from _all_ tyranny, and give the Kurds the freedom they deserve. And I hope the rest of the world will help out with that, even if it did start with a war.

And I really really hope _we_ get _our_ country back.