The Iraqi regime . . . possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons."
"We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas."
"We've also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas. We're concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVS for missions targeting the United States."
"The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. Saddam Hussein has held numerous meetings with Iraqi nuclear scientists, a group he calls his "nuclear mujahideen" - his nuclear holy warriors. Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at sites that have been part of its nuclear program in the past. Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons."
Cincinnati, Ohio Speech October 7, 2002
Other than Saddam's direct ability to inflict a strike (as was claimed here) what other reason did we have to invade? There are several other countries that have developed further than any Iraqi threat and others who pose an equal threat. So why Saddam?
As I said, he was a tyrincal and brutal ruler. BUT there are other rulers just as horrible or worse than Saddam. So why Saddam. He posed a potential threat to Isreal. So do other rulers and countries in the area. So why Saddam?
To emphasize the urgency of cleaning up the Saddam problem, we said he had offensive weapons at the ready. Not just weapons he could lob across the border and inflict damage, but inflict large area damage and even destruction. Where is that ability?
And removal doesn't always mean invasion. We didn't invade the Soviet Union, yet they had a regime change when communism collasped. There have been many other countries that regimes have changed through our covert activities.
I'm reposting this answer from another thread:
To prevent Hussein from producing, distrubuting and using WMDs. There can be no doubt he was trying to gain a nuclear capability, and the administration was not going to give him any more time.
To eliminate a regieme that consistently threatens its neighbors, who just so happen to produce a large amount of the worlds oil supply.
To prevent further support of terrorism from Hussein and his cronies.
To free the people of Iraq, thereby destablizing the other autocratic regeimes in the area.
Finally, because Hussein was in material breach of the CEASE FIRE he signed with the US at the end of the Gulf War. This fact alone was justification enough for his removal.
That isn't a complete list, of course. Just enough to show the lie that this was all about current stocks of WMDs present in the country at the time of attack.
Now of course none of these reasons will be good enough for you, but then again, they aren't meant to be. These reasons were put forth by the administration prior to the war. And since the polls show a vast majority of the people would still support the invasion even if WMDs aren't found, it would seem the President did a good enough job getting it out to most people.