With Osama bin Laden's Arab legions being hunted down in the mountains of Afghanistan, the endgame is approaching in the first stage of America's war on terrorism. Should Iraq be next?
The Bush administration is divided. Secretary of State Colin Powell -- even though he is a retired four-star general and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs -- urges caution. That's partly because there seems to be no smoking gun linking Iraq to the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld advocates a more robust strategy. Of course, Rumsfeld is not saying so publicly, but that's what many of those close to him are urging in the media.
The consequences of inaction against Iraq could be perilous indeed. Sooner or later, Saddam Hussein will represent a palpable threat to the U.S. and its allies. We know that bin Laden was interested in acquiring weapons of mass destruction, and Iraq is a much more advanced state than Afghanistan.