[Slapshot68]

Saddam had to be dealt with eventually, I just never believed it was as early as Bush wanted.

It is kind of a shame that the US has to go through this prerequisite of proving a link, proving WMD, when Saddam has demonstrated time and time again that he was a murderous dictator who simply needed to go away.

[demshateGod]

“Saddam had to be dealt with eventually, I just never believed it was as early as Bush wanted.”

I’m not an expert on this but from what I recall France, Russia, China, and others were working feverishly to get the sanctions lifted. At that point Saddam was ready to start his WMD program. I think the timing was necessary. I think we should have just told the truth. “France and China want to help Saddam get WMD so we better take him out before they get the chance.”

[KC_Conspirator]

Saddam violated all 17 points of the cease fire from 1991 Persian Gulf War. That should have been enough to depose this guy, but not for liberals who hate America. He also violated his agreements on weapons inspectors and UN oversight over his oil for palace program.

[allmendream]

Thus the folly of the “preemptive” philosophy of warmaking. I like the justification for war with Iraq that it was RESUMPTIVE war. We fought, we made them agree to a cease fire agreement, they broke the agreement; we started the shooting and bombing again.

And a “stockpile” of chemical weapons getting older is not nearly as much a threat as “capacity to produce” a fresh batch of chem weapons. Saddam didn't have “stockpiles” but he definitely had the capacity to produce, the recipe on hand, and the plan to start up production when the UN left.

[Rick66]

Why is there a need to prove anything? If the dumb SOB(Headless Hussein) had just complied with the resolutions that were imposed upon him(by a world body, useless as it is) he would still be murdering and maiming his own people and probably others throughout the world. Heck, by this time maybe he could have balanced the Middle East by radiating his neighbors. Good riddance to the Hussein's!

[Allegra]

It is kind of a shame that the US has to go through this prerequisite of proving a link, proving WMD, when Saddam has demonstrated time and time again that he was a murderous dictator who simply needed to go away.

He also violated the 1991 treaty numerous times, which is reason enough.

However, I'm not buying that Saddam didn't have links to al Qaeda.

[lepton]

Saddam had to be dealt with eventually, I just never believed it was as early as Bush wanted.

He needed to have been dealt with from when we found the massive violations of the Ceasefire agreement...circa 1994. Everything after that was borrowed time that hurt this nation and empowered the nuts.

[Edit35]

Saddam had to be dealt with eventually...

Can you imagine what type of mischief Saddam Hussein and his oil money would be conducting right now, had we not taken him out when we did.

Hussein already was a hero and substantial influence among the radical Jihadist groups in the MidEast and elsewhere in the months and years following the 9/11 attacks on the WTC and Pentagon.

If President Bush had not acted with force in "draining the swamp" as they said at the time... then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Darfuhr, sections of Pakistan and other radical countries would be celebrating with glee at the thought that "paper tiger" America was too scared to act in the wake of terror attacks.