[yonif]

I agree that Saddam Hussein was part of the war on terrorism, and hoped Bush would have made that connection before the war, and not more now.

Saddam headed a terrorist regime. He was a terrorist, and so was his country, even before 9/11.

After 9/11 the US declared a war on terrorism. Iraq was probably one of the top three terrorist regimes the US should have started on, just by looking at its history of agression made the case stronger to start on Iraq. Also the fact it didn't condemn 9/11.

It harbored terrorists, funded them, and incited them. I am not saying Iraq had something to do with 9/11, but it doesn't matter to me. It is not a war on only those responsible for 9/11, a war just on Al Queda, or a war just on WMD. It is directed against all terrorists. So the argument leftists say about Iraq having nothing to do with 9/11 is foolish, because this is not what this war is just about - it is more than that.

My only hope is that the US declares war on militant Islam.

[George W. Bush]

Saddam headed a terrorist regime. He was a terrorist, and so was his country, even before 9/11.

A terrorist to the Kurds and Sunnis in his country, absolutely. A personal funder of terror bombings in Israel? No doubt of it. A user of gas weapons against Iran (back when he was an ally of the U.S.)? Yep.

A 'gathering danger' to the U.S. because of WMD? Not so far as we can yet prove. But there was that airliner body that was at a paramilitary training camp. So we might yet make a strong case for a 9/11 connection to Saddam. I don't think Saddam's own airline ever had a problem with terrorism so he won't be able to say plausibly that that prop at a camp where known terrorists had trained was exactly innocent. He will have to explain that. We should focus more on it, I think.

I think that we'll have to justify the invasion by showing Saddam to be guilty of aiding and abetting and training some of the 9/11 terrorists or providing such training to Muslim extremists. I think we can make a good enough case for it.

The WMD thing is, internationlly speaking, a little weak no matter how we slice it. We need to stop standing upon such shaky ground if we can't produce some WMD.

My only hope is that the US declares war on militant Islam.

Me too. But let's not hold our breath.