According to the Bush countdown clock, there are now 477 some odd left in the administration. It is a safe assumption that there will still be a hundred thousand coalition American troops in Iraq 478 days from now.

So what will the landscape look like for the next administration and what decisions will it that landscape force?

First, there is another “surge” at work in the region — a surge in regional defense spending as a hedge against instability and the rise of Iran, both consequences of the war in Iraq.

The US recently gave Jordan $78 million in defense aid, and other countries are purchasing $63 billion in arms. So, if the war in Iraq is paving the way for a stable, democratic Middle East where things get a little better every day, why is everyone going on an arms buying binge? And why is the US the architect of the deal?