The Gump of August..... article in Asia Times..... Spengler gets

[HysteryDiagnosis]

it.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HG18Ak01.html

US policy has turned to dust and ashes. Watching Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on television, it occurred to me that she had borrowed a makeup artist from Night of the Living Dead. On reflection, it is more likely that she has not slept in a week.

Rather than a stable and democratic Iraq, Bush will leave Iraq a killing field. Oil-supply disruption will derail the world economic recovery. Nonetheless Washington must proceed according to the script of the strategy, which will culminate in US bombing of Iran's nuclear capability - just as I predicted on January 24 (Why the West will attack Iran) and numerous subsequent occasions. As Will Smith said in I, Robot, "Somehow, 'I told you so' doesn't quite say it."

In fairness to Bush, not only US policy but the policy of all the leading players lies in ruins. Europe's attempt to conciliate Islamist opinion has ended in embarrassment, and even France avers that the United Nations Security Council must take action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia's attempt to bestride the divisions in the Arab world has collapsed, and the monarchy has perforce taken sides against Hezbollah.