No. I just think you took it awful seriously especially since I accepted your correction. I will stand firmly on the word 'lone' and I think your own first reply to me reinforces that. I also stand by my assessment that WMDs weren't an 'overshadowing' issue in terms of the President's case for war. Perhaps 'overtowering' would have been a better word. You may disagree.
I would say 'central' and even 'prominent' would be fitting but I listened to every single speech he made running up to invading Iraq (and read the transcripts afterwards) and I never took away from those speeches that WMDs were most important. The Pres. clearly imparted to me that the main issue was Saddam's unpredictability, arrogance and antipathy towards the US and Isreal combined with Iraq's close ties with terrorism. WMDs were simply the most fearful manifestation that might come from that situation. It was that situation that was intolerable not the materials themselves. I thought the Pres. articulated that very well.
>>>> ... I listened to every single speech he made running up to invading Iraq (and read the transcripts afterwards) and I never took away from those speeches that WMDs were most important.
I find that hard to believe. I posted cuts from three speeches Bush gave leading up to the invasion of Iraq, March,16,17,19 of 2003. And a snippet from his UN speech of September.12, 2002. They all revolve around Saddam's WMD. Every speech Bush, Cheney and other administration personnel gave leading up to the war, all revolved around Saddam's WMD.
>>>>The Pres. clearly imparted to me that the main issue was Saddam's unpredictability, arrogance and antipathy towards the US and Isreal combined with Iraq's close ties with terrorism.
Saddam was always unpredictable and arrogant. And it was no secret he hated Israel and the US. Those aren't good enough reasons to go to war. Saddam was a terrorist who sponsered terror acts against Israel. Still not a good enough reason to go to war. The President's main claim, the driving force for going to war against Iraq and sending our troops into harms way, was Saddam's WMD.
Bottom line. If the issue of Saddam having WMD didn't exist, Congress would never have given authority for Bush to use military force against Iraq. The WMD issue tipped the scale. As I pointed out, WMD were found in Iraq, just not the large amounts everyone thought would be found. I'm convinced, Iraq had WMD and just before the invasion, those WMD were either shipped out of country, destroyed or buried in the sands of Iraq. We may never know what happened to them.
I firmly believe the Congress made the right move in authorizing military force against Iraq. WMD in the hands of a madman like Saddam would eventually led to mass death and destruction.