Who's next?

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Apr 09, 2003

The one small shadow looming over an enormously successful military campaign in Iraq is the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found. And now a rumor is beginning to spread quickly: people are saying those weapons were taken into hiding in Syria.

Wait a minute. If you're a ruthless dictator, facing war with a more powerful enemy, and you possess WMDs, why would you hide them? Wouldn't you use them? What did Saddam Hussein have to lose? Why would he give away the only weapons that might have slowed the allied advance?

But there's another facet to this. If Syria allegedly has WMDs, then does Syria becomes a threat? Will we begin hearing the hawks in Washington talking about the need to take action against Syria, too?

It's ominous to hear reports that unofficial talks between the US and Syria have just broken off.

The Syrian government is, to be sure, an unattractive regime-- as was the regime of Saddam Hussein.

But here's another disquieting thought: Name two countries in the Middle East where Catholics have been free to practice their faith without restraint? Name two countries in the Middle East where the Christian population is not plummeting because of emigration.