I'm pretty hawkish, so it should be no surprise that I not only support the U.S. government's stand regarding Iraq, but wonder why the heck they've waited this long. My not-so-secret wish is that Saddam gives Israel some provocation to take part in the spanking to come. In 1991, the mission was to get Iraq out of Kuwait, so Saddam did not feel himself to be in much personal risk. I believe he feels differently now. The one thing I'll say about Saddam is that he's not stupid (ruthless, yes, but not stupid). Rhetoric aside, he's not anxious to become a martyr, and I believe he will seek a means of leaving the country alive rather than chance trying to survive a massive bombing campaign.

I also believe the U.S. has some electronic warfare devices that are being reserved for this campaign, and that despite all the foreplay, they will still be able to mount a first-strike with a significant element of surprise.

No predictions about the swiftness of the campaign, but the casualty count in U.S. / British / Canadian forces will be minimal.