HOW CONVEEEEENIENT

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON, April 15 — President Bush declared today that "the regime of Saddam Hussein is no more," and his administration used America's rapid success in overthrowing the Iraqi leader to put new pressure on Iran and Syria, neighbors of the newly occupied nation.

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the United States was moving to cut off an important oil pipeline running from Iraq into Syria, the first major economic penalty against Syria.

Mr. Rumsfeld's statements, as well as remarks by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, were part of a declared strategy to consolidate the allied victory in Iraq by beginning to reshape the Middle East, while Mr. Bush said he planned to make the new Iraq a model for democracy in the Middle East. (emphasis mine)

Nevermind that third paragraph, that's the usual neocon daydream crap. Yes, other Arab nations will take notice of the United States' military might. But they've also noticed how we stood idly by as we allowed cherished institutions of Iraqi history and culture to be destroyed in the post-"liberation" chaos.

The donning of my tinfoil hat centers around Rummy's supposed economic penalty for Syria: to cut off an oil pipeline from Iraq. Ummm, we're in Iraq in the first place because of oil, so wouldn't we have done that anyway? My guess is we would have done this even if we hadn't been lashing out at Syria. But now Rummy gets to mask it, saying this is part of the Bushies being tough on a "rogue nation".

Ok, back to work.