We're getting ahead of ourselves

OK, back to warblogging!

I don't like this new round of potential escalation by the Pentagon. Rumsfeld is now basically putting the Syrians on notice that they need to clean up their act before we clean it for them.

We can't really fault them for selling arms to Iraq. They have never made any bones about whom they support in this battle. They don't complain about terrorism while supporting the king terrorist (like the Russians have). The Syrians supporting Iraq in this fight isn't much different than the US acting as the arsenal for democracy in WWII - except that the Syrians are supporting the soon-to-be losers. Can't fault them for acting on principle, even if it's wrong.

So long as they only act as the arsenal of thugocracy, we need to simply keep a close eye on them. At this point, we have no justification for going to war with Syria. Should a Syrian soldier fire a rifle within sight of an American, then it might be another story.

I sure hope Rummy is simply sending a message. Being on the wrong side of history is not necessarily justification for war. The administration is going to have to make a better case than this.

Or we have to invade Russia first. In the dead of winter. With the French leading the way.