>One thing is not clear to me - how is Iraq a threat to world peace, while Israel is not? Their record on warfare in the last few decades is roughly the same. Then, how is Iraq supporting terrorists, when it was published that most of Al-Qaida's funding came from Saudi Arabia? Why is it wrong that Iraq is oppressing Kurds, when it's done nothing differently from what Turkey is/was doing to Armenians and Kurds, and Turkey was never even threatened with sanctions?

I agree. This discussion was not about Turkey and Saudi Arabia but you are right on both counts. Perhaps the only reason those two nations were not threatened with sanctions also is due to the fact that we have military bases in Turkey and in the past Saudi Arabia has allowed us use of their land to base our operations from. We simply looked the other way... yet now that Saudi Arabia is drawing the line as to what we can and cannot do from their soil, hopefully the human rights issues as well as the terrorist funding, etc will entice sanctions and political disscussions. I think not though, it seems that America will not want to risk alienating ourselves from the very few Arab relations we still have right now and is probably justifying not doing anything to those countries due to the lesser of two evils or for the greater good. Politics make strange bedfellows... As for Israel, well that is another discussion entirely. Our relation with Israel will ruin the U.S. relations with other Arab nations (as well as the rest of the world) one day (if it hasn't already). On another subject, however, I do find it interesting that things have not settled down much at all even with the goals Palestinians have been vocalizing for years put forward as a goal by the U.S. also (a Palestinian state). Hmmmmmmmm....