“President losing tough-guy friend in unfriendly region: Without Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, who lay gravely ill Wednesday night after a devastating stroke, President Bush’s Middle East ambitions become even more bizarre and out of reach.

In addition to its vaunted regime change in Iraq, what Bush and his neocon advisers want to do is carry out regime change in Syria and, most importantly, Iran. Now, with the hardline Sharon fighting for his life, the region could be thrown into chaos.” — James Ridgeway (Village Voice)