[yonif]

Saddam may have had links with Al Queda. But it should not matter at all. Is Al Queda the only terrorist group in the world? Is the US fighting a war on just Al Queda or on all terrorism? Iraq was a terrorist state even before 9/11.

The debate over whether or not Saddam had links to Al Queda may have some justification, but Americans should not be obsessed with it. The left makes these arguments all the time like "Saddam had no link to Al Queda." It doesn't matter at all if he did or did not. We know for a fact Saddam had links to terrorists. And this is a war on terrorism.

Looking and looking into the debate over Saddam and his links to Al Queda just to satisfy the left and others is a waste of time. If people believe in the war on terrorism, then Saddam's regime was a justified target. If they don't believe that Saddam was a justified target by the US as part of its war on terrorism, then they do not believe in the war on terrorism.

[Peach]

It is a matter of interest, not obsession, although I do think if we can take away the leftist argument that the war in Iraq has taken us away from the war on terror, it will only do the administration good.

That Iraq supported the PLO and others is beyond debate. That Saddam cooperated at some level with OBL is beyond debate. But too few people know about that cooperation.

[wayoverontheright]

The debate over whether or not Saddam had links to Al Queda may have some justification, but Americans should not be obsessed with it.

I couldn't possibly agree more, it may even be harmful to our cause.

There is no need for there to be a pre-9-11 link between Saddam and al-Qaida in order to justify the Iraq war. If there is a lesson from 9-11, it is that neither WMD nor state sponsorship is required to wreak devastation upon Americans on American soil. The Left surely hasn't grasped this lesson, but could we take the chance that Saddam didn't either?

Saddam had motive. He was humiliated by us in '91, and had already demonstrated in the attempted assassination of a former president, his willingness to strike at us in a clandestine manner. What's more, he represented the symbol of Arab power, and no scenario whereby terror can be said to be dealt with properly could ensue which didn't include his removal from power.