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Source: http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/400fiprl.asp
Operation Scare and Divide
(Weekly Standard) - Fred Barnes In the first 24 hours of war with Iraq, the twin economic scare scenarios didn't occur. One projected event was a surge in oil prices. Instead they plummeted. The other speculated that war with Iraq might prompt pandemonium in the financial markets. On the contrary, the run-up to the war, and now the war itself, have been accompanied by a strong stock market surge. Also, predictions that the "Arab street" would erupt across the Middle East with riots and violent protests against America proved false. Finally, the U.S. showed that it can fight Iraq and terrorists at the same time, with American troops beginning a major operation in Afghanistan to rout the remaining elements of al Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden, just as bombs were dropping in Iraq.