LIMASSOL, Cyprus -- An interesting debate broke out in Washington last week about the possible war against Iraq. The discussion isn't just about whether to go to war; it has morphed into a quarrel about whether top Republicans are breaking ranks with U.S. President George W. Bush and seeking to reverse the march toward war.

Of particular interest was a New York Times' report that prominent war critics include Brent Scowcroft, former President George H.W. Bush's national security adviser, and Henry Kissinger, former President Richard Nixon's secretary of state. The report even stated that current Secretary of State Colin Powell is doing all he can to "outflank administration hawks and slow the rush to war."

But war opponents seeking comfort in the disarray among Republican hawks may find themselves disappointed in two of the most prominent cases. Kissinger appears to be cautiously in favor of war, not against it. And Scowcroft's opposition is hardly front-page news: He is one of the Saudi-connected, pro-Arab oilmen who were prominent in both Bush administrations but have been on the defensive since 15 Saudis took part in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.