Saddam Copped A Deal

What if Saddam copped a deal on the eve of the U.S. invasion and had remained in power over the last three years?

Gerard Baker answers the question at the Times of London. It's not pretty. Particularly significant:

In Iran the theocrats’ regime interpreted Saddam’s reprieve as a green light. Iraq had defied international law and the UN for more than a decade. But Saddam had survived; indeed was looking stronger than he ever had.

An unknown scientist from Pakistan, A. Q. Khan, slipped into Teheran from Pakistan. With its Libyan ally the Iranian Government accelerated its nuclear programme. The two issued a statement saying they would use their military muscle to annihilate Israel.

Iran certainly has been tethered to some extent by what's been going on in Iraq. And Libya? Oh, yeah, Libya. I'd forgotten about those loonies since they cowered out of fear of the U.S. president.

h/t: PowerLine
Talkin' Technorati: Iraq, Saddam, Iran