In 2002, I wrote  an essay against the then pending war in Iraq. I argued that toppling Saddam Hussein had little to do with the war against terrorism and al Qaeda. I said instead, that we should focus on promoting Democracy in pivotal states ... like Egypt.

It's a long piece, but here are some excerpts which seem germane on Day 10.

Deposing Saddam Hussein, on the other hand, would be nice in its own right, but as an avenue toward debasing the spooky spread of fascism and terrorism, it's misguided. Hussein has no sway or following in the Middle East. Dropping bombs and sending troops to knock off an isolated dictator is a misuse of American will. Until we've got proof that Hussein is aiming nukes our way, there's no reason to waste our efforts on Iraq.

There's a more logical and honest (and urgent) way to proceed against terrorism. Let's promote democratic reforms in the real linchpins of the region: Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. I'm talking about a direct American campaign for democracy (and women's rights) in the Middle East aimed at our suspect allies. We have more than radio waves to influence the likes of Cairo and Riyadh. We've got dollars, business investments, and political relationships. Let's get tough, and demand changes from our friends; demands backed with the threat of pulling our support.

Real democratic change in the Middle East will rip the rug from under the randy demagogues with guns and websites who prey on the disenfranchised populations in undemocratic countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Fittingly, these countries are also central to the growth of bin Laden's movement in a way that Iraq is not. (The majority of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia; and al Qaeda's leap from motley crew to sophisticated force was made possible by its alliance with longtime Egyptian radicals such as mastermind Ayman al-Zawahiri and his huge Egyptian underground movement.)

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Working in good faith to back Palestinian aspirations will prepare the U.S. for step two: demanding widespread change in the Arab world. Egypt is up first. Ever since the days of Gamal Nasser--the charismatic pan-Arabist leader of Egypt in the '50s and socialist '60s--Egypt has defined the zeitgeist in the Middle East. It's the most populated nation in the region at over 70 million people.

Unfortunately, under the rule of Nasser, Anwar el-Sadat (who was assassinated by a nascent version of current bin Laden-style fascists in 1981), and President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has mercilessly crushed political dissent (outright banning adversarial political parties), not to mention arresting, trying, and torturing people for being gay, according to reports by Amnesty International. As a 2001 report issued by the U.S. State Department declared, Egypt "officially respects most freedoms, but too often tramples them in practice."

The U.S., a steadfast ally of Mubarak, should begin a diplomatic campaign, starting with a suspension of U.S. aid to Egypt (we kick in around $2.5 billion to Egypt annually), to push democratic and civil-rights reforms in that country. Sound overly dramatic? Well, yeah; but it's hardly as over-the-top as demanding regime change in sovereign Iraq. Asking Egypt to release the likes of Egyptian Organization for Human Rights dissident Hafez Abu Sa'ada and democratic activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim and institute serious democratic reforms in the face of economic threats (a suspension of aid, a trade and tourist embargo) is hardly as radical as invading a country and dropping bombs.