We invaded Iraq for many reasons- primarily to enforce the 1991 cease fire which had been neglected. To recover or get an accounting for hundreds of captured prisoners Iraq had failed to return. To eliminate the chemical weapons program Zarqawi and Krekar and Baghdaddi was developing in northern Iraq with funding from the regime [and passage to and from Iran] and which was involved in the effort to poison mass transit in Europe; and which also was involved directly with the Milan cell which most certainly did know about the 9/11 attacks before the fact as the Italians recorded their chatter and boasting.
The USS Cole bombing and the earlier failed effort to bomb the USS The Sullivans was a joint Salafist-Shiite effort; in both cases the ships were on the way to enforce sanctions on Iraq, and Iran’s been smarting from sanctions too.
We also went into Iraq to eliminate the terrorist cells operating in Baghdad itself that the press kept insisting wasn’t al Qaeda because Zarqawi had not yet formally swore an oath to bin Laden and waited for that formality until after Saddam died. ISIS like this terrorist cell decapitated a nun there before our invasion, not to mention at the time Iraq was providing a house and a paycheck to one of the guys who bombed the world trade center in 1993, and ANO leader Abu Nidal was residing there as well, and terrorists were being trained in Iraq’s al Tuwaitha facility on an old jet there, and Iraq did support a bombing of a bar in the Philippines to take out a US special forces soldier by supporting the terrorist group that was also beheading people down there. Not to mention Iraq was caught in a plot to bomb our radio station in the Czech RFepublican. Wolfowitz said it most succinctly way back then - it was the growing nexus of WMD, Iraq and terrorism that necessitated war.
...and thats only a partial summary!
Hussein was living proof that when push came to shove we wouldn’t enforce agreements or stick with anything hard, and as a result, it was encouraging others to strike at us, and nations to almost universally negotiate - not just normal diplomat duplicity - but in outright bad faith.
A country that tries to operate in that environment will either put a halt to that, or not be long for this world. we were being struck every year in major and public ways.
As a result of showing even basic resolve, the aforementioned weapons programs in Libya were shut down and turned over for dismantlement. As many fingers were in that, and as close as they were to success, Iraq was worthwhile several times over.
I don't believe it was the "primary" reason for the invasion. Iraq violating the "fly over zone" was not enough - been doing it for years. The WMD's is why I supported the Iraq war as did most of the World. Chemical weapons were known to exist, used, and found. Plus, everyone knew of Saddam's ambition to build nukes.
I now think we wasted too much of our Troops lives and limbs when we could have contained Saddam like we did Kaddafi. I believe the clandestine services and DOD spec-ops could have dealt with Saddam's behavior/operations. Again, specific targeting. Kaddafi punked out. With enough effort so would have Saddam - remember he was found in a hole in the ground.
Most of your comment I tend to agree with, although some I haven't heard of. Apparently, you are more informed or buying into hearsay, supposition, personal opinion, or conspiracy. I mean the above as no slight. Please don't bother to explain further. You have made some of your points with fact and I prefer not to Google everything on record. Thanks for the info.