So, I take it that you've sifted through the sands of Iraq, from the northern Kurdish lands through the marshlands of the south, from the open western border with Syria to the wild no-man's land of the east, bordering on Iran. Wow, what an effort you must have given!
One thing David Kay was clear about: He agrees with the president's decision to go to war. Oh, make that two things: Iraq was probably even more dangerous than we had previously believed.
And the "pile of beans" that you so ignorantly dismiss was ongoing research on Brucella, Congo Crimean Hemmorhagic Fever, ricin, ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and the beginnings of a reconstituted nuclear program. Apparently, Hussein having these things doesn't bother you because you are so manly that you are immune to deadly diseases, or don't care that he was working on ways of delivering them throughout the Middle East (including Israel).
A third thing that Mr. Kay made clear was that Hussein could not control who was in his country, and what they took out with them. Apparently you are so manly that allowing elements of terrorist organizations access to free-lancing scientists (Mr. Kay's words, again) and the poison fruits of their labors, does not pose a threat to you or your dreamworld! What a luxury you have!
Real American conservatives don't see the world through such narrow ideological parameters. Johnny Cash was an American patriot; Ken Kesey left the world Sometimes A Great Notion; Tom Wolfe captured the American spirit of both the Hells Angels and Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters.
Yes, Johnny Cash was an American patriot, but there are many patriots and war heroes that are not right-wing purists. Didn't think that far through your little belief, did you? Joseph Heller left us with perhaps the greatest distillation of the bumbling nature of bureaucracies, but that doesn't make him a right-winger either.
Regarding Ken Kesey and the Merry Prankster, I like some of Mr. Kesey's writings, but his political beliefs were hardly right-wing purity. As for the "American spirit" of his followers, hmm, fornicating drug-abusers who sponge off of the profits of a successful author are hardly representative of my ideal American, or I may safely guess, the ideal of many on this forum. But then again, we're not all as brilliant as you.
You see, its American [sic] we love, not the Republican Party or a particular ideology that has the favor of the moment or pulls on the reigns of power.
So, supposedly, you are the arbiter of who is "American" and who is not? There was a political party in Germany back in the '30s that you would have really loved!
Don't forget the questions I have put forth to you. I know you can't answer them, but I appreciate the chuckles you give me with your attempts.
Weapons inspectors documented them in '98 (and before), and even the pro-appeasement Rats admitted he had them and that Iraq was therefore a national security threat. So the only real question is what happened to the them. There are three main choices:
1) Saddam destroyed them after '98 (when the inspectors left). This is laughable, of course -- a power-mad dictator willingly giving up his most potent weapons is unprecedented. And anyway, if he had done so, then why didn't he show us documented proof of their destruction as was required by resolution 1441?
2) Saddam, believing that he would be surviving this run-in with the U.S. just as he has surivived every other one, spirited the weapons to a third party (probably the Ba'athists in Syria) for safekeeping until after the war.
3) The weapons are very well-hidden within Iraq. WMD's are very easy to hide -- it's not like hiding planes, tanks, or missiles. Enough bio/chem weapons to kill countless people can be hidden in a very small space, and Iraq isn't a small country.