Abstract
Another reason to get rid of [Saddam Hussein] is the "Israeli factor." The Bush administration bought the Israeli argument that, by breaking Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would be resolved on Israeli terms. Iraq has the potential to be a regional superpower. It has the second largest proven reserve of oil, well-educated human resources and land that can feed millions of people, if used efficiently and appropriately. The U.S. views the potential power of Iraq as a challenge to U.S. domination in the area. The removal of Saddam from power will allow the U.S. to redraw the border of Iraq to minimize Iraq's potential as a regional power. Another important reason to get rid of Saddam is that Iraq is supporting the idea of replacing the power of U.S. currency to price and exchange oil with the euro, and advocating that other oil-producing countries should follow suit. The use of the euro will not only hurt the dollar but also the U.S. economy in the long run. By toppling Saddam, the U.S. will send a strong message to Iran and Syria to toe the U.S. line, or face the same consequences. His fall will also open a huge bonanza for the American oil companies who have been banished from Iraq for the last three decades. Finally, a U.S. attack on Iraq would easily confirm the perception of people in other countries that the U.S. war on "terrorism" is really a war on Islam. This would fuel hostility and increase popular appeal of the radical Islamic movement in the area, and could lead to increased terrorist activity against the U.S. and abroad.