The Iraq conflict, while not a cause of extremism, has become a cause for extremists.

I've never said that those people who are engaged in extremism won't use Iraq as a way to recruit or motivate people.

One outcome is almost certain. Extremism stands to benefit enormously from an uncalculated adventure in Iraq,

It comes as a surprise to no one that after decades of internal and international conflict, Iraq is littered with land mines and bombs.

Lack of uncertainty around the Iraq conflict caused bond market yields to reverse their downward spiral of recent weeks and mortgage rates followed in tandem. But there are other uncertainties about the length of the conflict and its impact on the economy that will influence mortgage rates in the weeks to come, so this rise in rates may be only temporary.

Iraq is on the brink of civil war. This war must be stopped before it degenerates into a conflict of civilizations.