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"disproportionately villified over the years" . . . .wow. . .really? I think he has not been held accountable enough for the evil he has done to his people and to the region.

"Saddam thought we had given him a green light to invade. "

Blame American First, not a good thing to do. Look, if he was looking for our permission, we did not give it. Some State Dept bimbo left the wrong impression, but that does not in any way excuse his aim, goal and actions. And besides, do you really think that Saddam would have been convinced not to invade if we said, "Don't do it."

I think not, and here is why: After the invasion and brutalization of the Kuwaiti people, we had the most massive build-up of troop for an invasion since WWII. We threatened him, told him in no uncertain terms that the game was up; leave or be thrown out. He didn't believe us.

So, we are to believe he would not have invaded if he knew we would object--with no forces in the region to back up the objection, while after the invasion we had a massive build-up and he thought we didn't have the will?

I can't see it.

Sanctions were a good thing for the US. Why? because in Operation Iraqi Freedom the Iraqi military was not the same military he had in 90/91. This ensured a quicker victory with less US casualties. Sanctions worked in that regard, and sad that innocents suffered under sanctions, I place the blame on Saddam, and if sanctions saved American lives, so be it.

Realistically, absent having to send in troops, sanctions hardly force changes because the very regimes that warrant sanctions are the very regimes that are least affected by them. Oh, and the french usually find ways to get around them.

That's not blaming America first. It's blaming a bad situation on a miscommunication. That's how most wars start. Are you really denying that Kuwait was slant drilling under the Iraq border? What self-respecting country would accept that? If that first war had been avoided, there would have been no sanctions and no need for a second war. More Iraqi people would be alive today and there wouldn't be so much uncertainty in the entire region. Because this is still history unwinding, we don't know where things will end up and the final judgment is not set in stone. No one knew at the time what a bad idea World War I would end up being.

Blame American First, not a good thing to do. Look, if he was looking for our permission, we did not give it. Some State Dept bimbo left the wrong impression,

April Gallespie. To be fair, thats how its works in diplomad-speak. He says he's unhappy with Kuwait, we respond that we don't consider Kuwait to be under our sphere of influence/protection. Saddam's fault, but we screwed up too.