A 10-20 year commitment is no problem. We still have troops in Germany and Japan. Look how it stabilized the reagion....
I think Bush has a modern "Marshall Plan" for the Middle East, and Iraq is going to be the centerpeice....
In the long run, stabilization of the region is worth while, and needs to be done. There needs to be some form of democracy, freedom, and free market economics. Once this is done, the middle east will boom, and I am sure 40-50 years from now they will be on the UN trying to veto us stoppinng some crazed dictator in Cental Africa or something.
But they will munch on McDonald fries, be watching Sopranos on HBO, American Idol, theri kids will dress funny, and watch MTV, and think Britney Spears and In Sync are "The Bomb" ( their parents will reflect back in the day when The Bomb meant suicide bombers).
