I know we've had this discussion, and am sure we'll have to agree to disagree.
My feeling is that considering Iraq had advance notice of 9/11, as evidenced by their July 21, 2001 state run article about what was coming to NYC, they did more than just a little gossip with OBL.
As well, although there is no proof, I believe the terrorists were connected with the anthrax attacks and that Iraq is the country that knew how to weaponize it adequately so it was aerolicized (sp?).
Also, Iraq violated the no fly zones for so many years and we received 78 reports from different sources that Hussein's regime was actively training Iraq intelligence soldiers for terrorist attacks against the US and our interests.
The Senate Intelligence Report said that Iraq provided AQ with WMD training. Salmon Pak was obviously a major terrorist training ground. Direct meetings between senior Iraqimilitary officers and top AQ operatives took place for 13 years.
I know that a lot of that could be said for other countries, and I fully understand why we didn't, for example, invade Saudi Arabia or Iran. We're finishing what was started with Iraq and doing the best we can with the other countries.
I'm delighted we took the war to Iraq and that more and more jihadists are joining their brothers there; we can kill them and those are a few hundred less terrorists who will make their way here.
It may be simplistic, but it's how I feel. Strongly.
What you said. Also, add the fact that Saddam aided Al-Zarqawi, known AQ network leader, in Iraq before we went to war there.