Analyzing the real reason behind Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's just completed MidEast trip, the BBC News asks, Why did Condoleezza Rice come to Israel and the West Bank earlier this week?

And concludes:

. . .military action against Iran is now being very seriously considered in Washington.

[This article originally appeared in it's essential form as a diary at DailyKos .]

Remember when the Republicans and Democrats hugged and patted Bush on the back as he walked so proudly down the red carpet that fateful day when he declared war on Iraq?

Bush's hot face flushed with delight, observing that he had such universal accord on his march to war!  Vice-President Cheney was smiling, as the other robots Powell, Rice, Wolfowitz and Perle were all thrilling to this momentous moment in this historical march to bring freedom and democracy to the entire Middle East.  

Wow!  All that was lacking was a hallelujah chorus of the right wing sycophants.  After all, this could lead to the much-anticipated Armageddon, Hosanna!

But the rest of the world watched in horror and awe as these self-appointed saviors of freedom and democracy for the entire world marched in lockstep to the war machine's tune without a single shred of legitimate proof that Iraq posed a direct threat to the U.S.  Iraq's leadership was stunned.