The terrorist attacks now presented the opportunity to remake the Middle East based upon American values of the rights of individuals and not the whim of oligarchy.

I learned the important lesson that you need to check your intellectual baggage at the door, when you arrive in someone else's complex society and Iran is an incredibly complex country.

The fact that virtually every rationale made by the United States for the war, especially Saddam's weapons of mass destruction program, turned out to be wrong did not faze those who advocated the conflict. In the pursuit of this myopic policy, the Bush Administration had thrown away diplomatic openings made by Iran.

Iran's rhetoric in response to US action against Iraq will be harsh. However, Iran will quietly view the removal of Saddam's regime as an opportunity to influence post-Saddam Iraq. Iran could actually increase in strength and influence with the removal of their chief rival.

The United States lacked a stratagic plan for the Middle East.

Conspiracy theories abound in the Middle East in part because there frequently are so many conspiraces.

Les's lips sink ships.

While the military brass feuded.

The Iranians were unlike any adversary the US had fought.

The absence of evidence is not neccessarily evidence of absence.