Two points. First, yeah, we have infomation in scripture telling us that the hatred in that society goes back to its foundations and will run until the Lord returns. But, while we know that, we can't abandon the region to their internal hatreds because, as scripture also says, it is directed at ALL peoples. We can't simply leave them alone and be left alone, won't work. Nothing can totally stop a people who are determined to kill everyone else, is there?
Second, ref Jon's excellant tomb, one correction I think. The reason Bush "can't get many allies to help" really isn't because they disagree about the threat or what has to be done to minimise it. Rather, those other countries are so poor due to their struggling socialistic economies they can't afford to send troops.
Any disruption of oil would be devastating to them, so they live in great fear of that. Nor, at risk of harming their over-inflated self image (think the arrogant but impoverished Freench and Germans and Russians, Dutch, etc, here) can they let us pay for them to play.
Thus, in jealousy, the worlds democrat/socialist leaders preen and posture about how the "evil" US is doing something in the M.E. they simply can't afford to do. While their economies teeter on the brink of diaster, they cringe before the Islamics and pray for "peace in our time.". Again.
So, it isn't because they disagree that holds the other countries back from helping us over there, its a fear of economic losses they aren't willing to risk. They do like their mandated cradle to the grave comforts, even if it ruins life for their grandkids.
