A Nobel Peace Prize for George W. Bush?

So, at one stroke, two spokes of the "Axis of Evil" - Iraq and Iran - would be knocked out. Only North Korea would remain and that regime seems to be quietly coming to what most people would regard as its senses.

What about the reaction of other Mideast states, the explosion of terrorism and violence, counter-attacks on United States power?
Would Mubarek's Egypt, shaky from within and already heavily dependent on United States aid, rebel against its benefactor? The still relatively new leaders in Syria and Jordan might hesitate to annoy the mighty power now firmly installed as their neighbour. Lebanon might be happy simply to survive.

What about Qaddafi?

Much of the fire of the old fire-eater has now been quenched. He is already coming in from what has become the cold. Faced with yet another awesome manifestation of American power, he is unlikely to revert to his old ways.

Who is left? India and Pakistan are preoccupied with their own squabble, with America the well-meaning friend of both. Indonesia desperately needs to hold itself together.

What about the former superpower, Russia and the future superpower, China?

They will grizzle but they're unlikely to pick a full-frontal fight with the only superpower around at the moment.

And the United States has friends to help put the right gloss on what it is doing.

Britain can be relied on to strengthen its "special relationship."

Australia, widely regarded as democratically decent, will keep trying to bow and scrape its way into United States good graces.

Some Europeans won't like it. Germany has already expressed opposition to a United States attack on Iraq.

France and others will be at best hesitant. But they are unlikely to do more than disagree orally or in writing. Indeed, France is already busy wriggling free of any too clearly expressed antipathy to American "dynamism, energy and exceptional enthusiasm" and is looking towards a "new Euro-Atlantic partnership."