WI: No Axis of Evil

What would happen if Bush never held the state of the union speech in 2002, which invented the term 'axis of evil'? Say due to a high ranking diplomat telling him that such a speech while it might be good on national lines would make it infinitely more difficult to do diplomacy.

IIRC Iran was actually willingly cooperative with capturing of Al-Qaeda members (although cynical voices might say primary due to their differing denomination of Islam) together with US until they got typecasted into supporting them by the speech, understandlingly leading to them pulling out not willing to support US one inch and depending on who you ask and what you believe, even willing to turn the blind eye towards said members with the implicit understanding that they're there against US.
 
What would happen if Bush never held the state of the union speech in 2002, which invented the term 'axis of evil'? Say due to a high ranking diplomat telling him that such a speech while it might be good on national lines would make it infinitely more difficult to do diplomacy.

IIRC Iran was actually willingly cooperative with capturing of Al-Qaeda members (although cynical voices might say primary due to their differing denomination of Islam) together with US until they got typecasted into supporting them by the speech, understandlingly leading to them pulling out not willing to support US one inch and depending on who you ask and what you believe, even willing to turn the blind eye towards said members with the implicit understanding that they're there against US.

Well, Iran would remain more willing to cooperate with the US, and possibly the US's issues with Iraq and WMDs would be taken a bit more seriously, though it wouldn't help much as most of the world didn't really buy into what the Bush administration was saying...
 
Well, Iran would remain more willing to cooperate with the US, and possibly the US's issues with Iraq and WMDs would be taken a bit more seriously, though it wouldn't help much as most of the world didn't really buy into what the Bush administration was saying...

The mullahs call America evil and the Great Satan on a daily basis. Moralist discourse to label ones enemies evil may be archaic from an American standpoint, even though Reagan used the word for the Soviets, but it's standard fair in the Middle East.
 
It might prompt a bit more flexibility in US dealings with the "axis" nations, but it would have little effect on how North Korea or Iran deal with, and characterized the US.
 
Top