I'm not a hawk on this whole 'war on Iraq' thing, right?

Still, when Steven talks about repudiating Iraqi debts to France and Russia in case of a takeover, I think 'What else would possibly make sense?' In Russia's case they've got this big new treaty with Iraq (payment from the latter to the former to nix Security Council stuff). I view it as a bet: you throw yourself in with Iraq or the US, regardless of whether or not either one is right, and I'm confident Russia and France aren't playing it that way. I don't feel much sympathy for someone who bets and loses.