When Bush stated that you’re either for us or against us he wasn’t referring to you and me.  He was referring to countries that would harbor terrorists.

that would be Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, et al well before it would indicate Iraq. priorities dictate actions, and that's why the Iraq 'liberation' attempt fiasco goes in my book under the 'crock of shiite' section.

and again, i recall my experience this summer in France with an Iraqi from Baghdad, a man who had done time in prison there for opposing you-know-who. he emphatically stated that we invaded primarily for their oil (there were maps of Iraq in Cheney's secret energy committee meeting, but no doubt that's just a weird coincidence) and are trying to install a puppet government. he assured me that this was overwhelmingly the view of his people.

because if you left the Iraqi people free to really vote for whom they wanted, they'd elect a bunch of...highly religious & anti-US folks, wouldn't they.

but they're a free people now in a democratic country of their own running. that's why we're presently building 14 military bases there.

priorities.