[Prime Choice]

The reasons for the war were simple and unchanging:

1. Iraq was not complying with U.N. resolutions it had agreed to comply with at the conclusion of Gulf War I.
2. Iraq knowingly aided and abetted terrorists and terrorism.
3. The U.N. was no longer fit to monitor Iraq due to the scandals in which it was embroiled; chiefly, the oil-for-food scandal.
4. The U.S. built its own multi-national coalition to liberate Iraq and dismantle its war-making capabilities.

That's it in a nutshell. If any of your Leftist friends care to dispute it, ask them to produce credible sources. And no, the "Daily KOS" and similar Leftist screeds are not credible.

[kenavi]

Your starting point is excellent- Saddam did not comply with the peace treaty that allowed him to hang on to power.

Given that, there is no question of "right" to depose Saddam, it becomes a question of what is most effective for U.S. goals.

That is the debate that should continue, not to satisfy the leftists but for those who support our country as a force for good in the world.

But, for once and for all, if the war was about "oil", the U.S. could have gotten all the oil it wanted out of Saddam by appeasing and flattering him, as we did for many years.

[milighthous]

" 1. Iraq was not complying with U.N. resolutions it had agreed to comply with at the conclusion of Gulf War I" In what way?
" 2. Iraq knowingly aided and abetted terrorists and terrorism." There is not a shred of evidence of that.
"3. The U.N. was no longer fit to monitor Iraq due to the scandals in which it was embroiled; chiefly, the oil-for-food scandal." Get out of the UN and get the UN out of the US.
" 4. The U.S. built its own multi-national coalition to liberate Iraq and dismantle its war-making capabilities." There was a pathetic joinder of England which was a laughable "Coalition". Iraq was preparing for nothing against anyone. Iraq is a disaster. 4 out of 10 want to leave right now!!!! Bush will never live down "No WMD" which was the absolute stated reason for 1900 dead and 14,000 wounded Americans.