Really? How do you know Saddam isn't a slight delay away from being able to manufacture and distribute WMD?
Really? How do you know Saddam isn't a slight delay away from being able to manufacture and distribute WMD?
Obviously, I don't know for sure that an extra two weeks' or a month's delay won't be precisely the exact additional time he needs, but, since we agree that he has been working diligently on these projects for many years, and with no inspectors to inhibit him for the past four years, a delay that would only amount to a very small percentage of the total time already spent might be worthwhile if the inspectors are able to spook him into having to hurriedly move some systems around so that our satellites might observe them. Having the inspectors visit certain areas is also helpful in minimizing the probability that such sites would be useful targets. Clearly, Saddam has the ability to move weapons around and hide them all over Iraq. It wouldn't hurt to know that professional inspection teams had ruled out certain sites. Like the old game of Battleship, knowing where not to strike is quite useful in determining where to strike.
A potential problem with reinstituting inspections could occur if the inspectors were unable to find anything at all. Daschle, Carville and the boys will be screaming about a witch hunt and spending all kinds of money for nothing. Realistically, I would be willing to predict it would only be a very short visit by inspectors until they either found evidence of weapons being built or, more likely, were prevented from entering a particular facility by the Iraqis. That would be immediate cause to withdraw the inspectors, and would yield some useful targeting information. We've waited ten years to finish this bastard off. Two or three more weeks is unlikely to make a difference.