Yeah... Iran would be a very bad idea. I view Pakistan a bit differently though. One reason being that it is already a well established nuclear power. The other being that we are already in Afghanistan and taking the fight to northern Pakistan makes sense since that is where most of the enemy is based out of. If we can do it with the blessing of Pakistan's government that would be great.
They are the ones that set up the Taliban in the first place, and funded al Qaida to combat India in the disputed Kashmir region. I know that getting involved in a civil war in Pakistan along with what we need to do with Iran is not something we want, but certain circumstances could make it necessary. Believe me, India would not allow it to stand, one way or the other, and I don't think we want Islamic extremists with control of nuclear weapons. The most likely scenario in that event would be providing logistical support, along with surveillance and intelligence to the Pakistani government to make sure they win.
Afganistan was an unmitigated success, and absolutely necessary. Iraq was a questionable call as far as national security goes. Pakistan is a clear cut national and regional security issue.
I believe that Saudi Arabia has cracked down hard on their extremist elements, but has kept it as quiet as possible. The Saudi's have been a strong, though pretty silent partner of the United States for a long time. I just read in a Reagan biography that they admitted about 8 or 9 years ago that they helped the US put the finishing touches on the USSR in the 80's by flooding the market with oil, causing a worldwide drop in oil prices. This severely lowered the cash on hand for the Soviets, helping lead to their eventual collapse. They did this in spite of heavy pressure from their neighbors and other allies. They certainly have been part of the problem, but I believe they are working to rectify that.
Syria will need to be dealt with, but really? The rhetoric on that has been somewhat quiet. Maybe the media has been underreporting that, or I just haven't caught it when it's been reported on.
