Hell no. I would have bombed the hell out of his country until his own people overthrew him. I would followed that up with an ultimatum that if they allow Al Qaeda in or become a threat to us in any way ever again, that we will be back to level them again and that while bombing will be targeted, there will no regard for the well being or prosperity of their nation.
If, after you have “bombed the hell out of his country”, his own people never overthrow him, then what? You’ve enraged the population, sown seeds of hatred against the U.S. for another generation, and still haven’t solved the problem of Saddam’s regime.
Let’s say, after we “bomb the hell out of his country”, they DO overthrow him. They will then form a new government that is still an enemy of the U.S., promotes terrorism, etc.
Either way, the problem is not solved.