I’ve been thinking about why anonymous administration officials would mention this obviously crazy plan at length. Is this some message to Iraq to somehow give the impression that the US is tougher than it really is? I mean, this plan is just arrogant to the extreme. It would drive the mideast into a roiling pit of craziness. The whole region would be destabilized by American occupation. Not to mention the domestic effect. I can’t believe that this is a serious plan. It has to have some propaganda purposes which are not expressed outright. Is it to diminish the effect of what the US might really do if they overthrow Hussein? Is it to scare Iraqi generals? Is it to give the impression of greater strength? Is it to galvanize players in the Mideast? Is it some sort of signal of the impending war? Is it an attempt to isolate the rest of the world especially Japan and Germany? Or, could it be something else…maybe an attempt by government officials opposed to the invasion to somehow plant this story to stir up opposition to the pro-invasion cabal? There is something else to this. It is too huge to be otherwise. I can’t believe they would naively admit to something like this without some other purpose.