What if?

The Iraq war seems to have turned into a never ending story. What was meant to be a quick-fix-and-out-:), has become a quick-fix-and-out-?? I can imagine myself during my journalism days, of days when you just don't seem to see any story anywhere. With Iraq there would never have been a dearth of stories...experts' interviews, first hand experiences, Indian perspectives, changes in discussions in political science classrooms, probable changes in the international affairs/foreign policy syllabus to make Iraq and the war on terror a permanent feature of it, Iraq quizes for supplements, astrological advise for Iraq, Bush etc etc.

All these readings and discussions about Iraq got me wondering what if instead of sending in troops and actually invading Iraq, the US had conducted one of its covert operations in regime change? What if with their superior intelligence capacities, their secret agents and stuff they had tried to get rid of (read secretly killed) Saddam and his aides? What if they had managed a traditional coup? What if they had negotiated and flexed some muscles to contain Saddam's 'intentions'? I think I should just assume that after considering the various options, the better experienced and knowledgable US policymakers thought that direct intervention is their best bet. In fulfilling their duties towards their people and the world at large, they did their best. I wonder if anyone of them said, "War! karma majha!"

What next?

March 24: UN Security Council passes resolution on stricter sanctions on Iran to back off its nuclear intentions.

March 25: Iran captures 15 British soldiers for ‘illegally entering Iranian waters.’ Criticizes the West for sending ‘mothers with toddlers’ in the combat zone to be captured by the enemy.

April 5: All 15 soldiers released as ‘Easter gift.’

April 9: Iran celebrates Day of Nuclear Technology. Announces plans to produce nuclear fuel on ‘industrial scale’

However, there have hardly been any drastic announcements of punishing Iran after it announced it nuclear intentions. Did the hostage drama really have such an impact in convincing the West to mind its own business? Or is it the silence before the storm?

In a free world.......

.....beware! if you have TB, you might land up in jail.