[syriacus]

Pre-War "containment" of Saddam failed more each day.

1. The oil-for-food program was corrupt
2. The weapons inspections were a farce
3. US and allied planes were targeted
4. Uninspected flights to Baghdad gutted the sanctions
5. Terrorists were training in Iraq
6. Saddam supported terrorism - $25,000 to each family of a suicide bomber.
7. Saddam was thumbing his nose at decent people as he rewarded his collaborators.

Bush interrupted Saddam's staging of a comeback.

[syriacus]

Bush interrupted Saddam's comeback on the world stage.
A beneficial side effect was the dismantling of Libya's WMD program.

Containment of Iraq was failing more each day.

1. The oil-for-food program was corrupt
2. The weapons inspections were a farce
3. There are indications that Saddam was co-operating with Qadhafi on programs to develop weapons in Libya
4. US and allied planes were targeted
5. Uninspected flights to Baghdad gutted the sanctions
6. Terrorists were training in Iraq
7. Saddam supported terrorism - paying $25,000 to each family of a suicide bomber and $10,000 to the families of other Palestinians killed in the intifadah.
8. Saddam created the Jerusalem Army [the Jaysh al-Quds] to "liberate" Jerusalem
9. Saddam refused to destroy his Samoud 2 missiles which violated the UN mandate
10. Saddam brutalized our fellow human beings

Saddam was thumbing his nose at decent people as he rewarded his collaborators.

Analysis: Saddam steps up defiance, 1 December, 2000, By BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy

[Mere]

More than that. Saddam wanted to destablize the entire region and try to take over Saudi.

[purpleraine]

I would add that Saddam harbored terrorists in Baghdad (was it Abu Nidal?) and he plotted to kill an ex-president on his trip to Kuwait.

I think the congress came up with 23 charges to grant the president war power.