My predition on how this will all play out: Iraq

[justinsb]

Now that Iran and Iraq have signed a military deal

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A3B7E6C5-B473-4779-8402-8D48A7299A35.htm

and Iraq has begun to be more critical of the US role in the country

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050710/w071070.html

I suspect that the Iraqi government will not, for long, be friendly with the US and that once the US ultimately leaves the Iran/Iraq alliance will help support the fundamentalist rebels in Saudi Arabia.

The three which will then control a huge percentage of the worlds oil supply will then rely on China for protection from further US attacks

Saudi Arabia cuts oil sales to U.S., ups China
http://www.energybulletin.net/2348.html

Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

(not to mention Venezuela's oil going to China

http://www.10thnpc.org.cn/english/2004/Dec/115814.htm
)

With the profits generated by the Chinese economy and Middle Eastern oil, and with the US economy weakened by ever increasing fuel prices China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq will buy whatever is left of US infrastructure (companies, real estate etc).

By then though, everyone will likely blame whoever is in office at the time and forget about the legacy of GWB.

[caty]

1. I don't see the U.S. leaving Iraq

for at least 20 years. And, even then, this mess will never end. bush and his cronies have put us in a no win situation. We can only hope that if a Dem gets in office and we can keep Dems in office for many years, that slowly this tragidy will get straightened out.

[justinsb]

2. If the polls keep going the way they are

I don't think the adminitration will have much of a choice. The number of Americans who support the war is steadily declining, as is the number of Iraqis who want the US there.

[burrowowl]

3. The soldiers will

be replaced by mercenaries and Americans will be fooled.
We already have a ton of mercenaries over there.