MOSCOW -- Foreign-policy alignments have gone mad worldwide. A bizarre diplomatic coalition consisting of Russia, China, France and Germany now confronts the United States, Britain, Italy and Poland. Who could have imagined such a combination just 10 years ago besides readers of political thrillers? Now the only person who laughs at the most improbable conflict is Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, for it is he who has provoked the great divide in world politics.
The situation is tough because if the U.S. goes to war over the objections of Moscow, Beijing, Paris and Berlin, the entire Mideast situation will likely deteriorate.
A war against Iraq would be difficult in any case due to the size of the country, its well-trained armed forces and its harsh terrain. In the war on Afghanistan, the U.S. had a local ally -- the Northern Alliance -- that did the bulk of the ground fighting, possibly saving thousands of American lives.