ABSTRACT
There are both strengths and weaknesses in George W. Bush's identification of Iraq, Iran and North Korea as members of an 'axis of evil', with the proverbial balance falling in favor of the former rather than the latter. Bush's rhetoric could strengthen the mullahs' resolve, rendering any easing of economic sanctions less probable and thus reducing the potential for US firms to profit from future investment in Iran. His warning itself has the potential to change Iranian behavior for the better as evidenced by Tehran's February 2002 roundup of al-Qaeda suspects who fled west from Afghanistan. The Bush Administration should take care to do so pragmatically through political, economic, and as a last resort, limited military means. Any action the Bush Administration takes against Iraq will entail both costs and benefits. Iraq has demonstrated both the technical and logistical capacity to acquire, and the political will to utilize, weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
