Indeed, some Administration supporters pushing regime change in the Middle East argued that Iran, not Iraq, should be first.
There is the same emphasis on the personal leadership of Mr Bush, whether he is pushing regime change or tax cuts.
The official said that the president's current thinking on Iraq was to "resist being put in a box, including by those who are pushing regime change," or the overthrow of Mr. Hussein.
Unfortunately it turns out that there's no comprehensive social science research on whether pushing regimes to democratize or respect human rights actually works.
But pushing regimes that are already unstable, poor and short of resources into conflict is only one way in which climate change is heralding a new era of mass environmental emigration.
Rather than demonstrate prudence after the death of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, he recklessly demanded that the United States now push for regime change there.
But other nations' leaders harm their citizens and we, as Americans, should not be the major commanding force to push for regime change in these often-hostile nations.
The UN has tried to push the regime towards open talks with the opposition, hoping the country's generals would respond following their internationally condemned suppression of anti-government protests in Rangoon last year.
Kofi Annan arrives in Syria today on a mission to push the regime to end its bloody crackdown on dissent and hold talks with the opposition, but before the former UN secretary-general had even touched down in Damascus, activists rejected his call for dialogue with President Bashar al-Assad.
