On Sunday, Mickey Kaus pondered the urgent question, “What was Rummy thinking?” (Click, then scroll down.) Why would the secretary of defense insist on sending so few troops into Iraq? It doesn’t make sense, unless . . .
Of course! If “regime change” in Iraq were the only goal, there’d be no reason not to provide plenty of soldiers to do the job, with an ample margin of safety. But regime change in Iraq isn’t the only goal. Rather, neocons in the Bush administration see the Iraq campaign as the opening move in a series of potential power plays that might involve at least credibly threatening military action against Syria, North Korea, Iran, and maybe even Saudi Arabia.
Frightening? Josh Marshall has been following the story closely here, here, here, here, and — if you’re not spinning from the shock yet — here.