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As for the aluminum tubes, high strength aluminum is a nuclear dual-use item, which means it has both nuclear and non-nuclear uses. Iraq was banned from possessing aluminum tubing above a certain strength under Security Council resolutions, unless these items are imported through the UN, used for civilian or non-banned purposes, and were subject to monitoring by inspectors. So...if you figure that they had the capability to procure these items legally, but under supervision, and instead they decided to procure them illegally, then the logical assumption (IMHO) would be that they were intended for illicit operations. And for the CIA and INR to depend on the IAEA to collaborate their facts is a hoot. That is the same IAEA that said N. Korea was in compliance, until the "OOPS!"...well, you know the rest of the story.

A thoughtful post.

Most these WMD threads really pose two questions:

Did we find WMD?
On what basis did we go to war?

It's #2 that the fight is about. And the Dims are trying to pretend they didn't read these materials and then vote to authorize Bush to proceed at his discretion. They want to pretend the WH fooled them or ginned it up or something else.

That's why I like to read the declassified reports like what I posted above. It shows us the kinds of intel estimates the Senate used when the vote was taken.

When you look at it hard, it is a little surprising how flimsy some of the material really is. A little sparse on hard info, to say the least.

billbears, you might be interested in the above declassified WMD intel report.

On what basis did we go to war?

Failure to abide by multiple resolutions to disarm (even by Hans Blix standards), including the final Res. 1441 , forcing Bush on March 17, 2001 to demand that Saddam go into exile or face war. Saddam refused. Period. The rest is icing...let them [the Dems] eat [yellow] cake, like the selfish children they are. Just like my mama used to do when I didn't eat my veggies at dinner, we will save the crow for their breakfast and they will eat it cold.

You asked what basis did we go to war.

The Government, during the Clinton administration, passed a bill stating that the white house must pursue removing Saddam from power. That job fell into President Bush's hands.

The DEMS don't want to mention that they voted YES for an ORDER that President Bush remove Saddam.