[StockAyatollah]

If he used it on America then Iraq would be a parking lot. It is called Mutually Assured Destruction and it kept us out of war with the Soviets for half a century. What about Pakistan, India or North Korea's already existing nukes? We can not stop other nations from acquiring a technology. We can only delay it at best.

And where was all of this concern about Iraq prior to 9/11? No one was talking invasion back then. Saddam was and is still Saddam and there is zero evidence he had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks. This is Bush 2's Panama. An invasion for poll numbers.

[Alberta's Child]

I don't know if this is an "invasion for poll numbers," but there is a clear disconnect between the level of effort that the U.S. would be required to bring against Iraq and the threat that Saddam Hussein actually represents to the U.S.

If the U.S. is truly interested in dealing with threats against it, it might want to think seriously about toppling just about every Arab government in the Middle East except Saddam Hussein's.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

MAD doesn't work very well when martyrdom is the desired result.
The Rooskies liked life. Saddam and his clan don't care.

[usapatriot28]

And where was all of this concern about Iraq prior to 9/11?

Concern about Iraq has been there since the Gulf War. For the last 11 years we haven't gone more than 3 or 4 months without Saddam ending up in the news.

No one was talking invasion back then.

True. It's called an epiphany. We thought we could contain him, but 9/11 made us realize that he has to be removed.

Saddam was and is still Saddam and there is zero evidence he had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks.

Whether he had anything to do with 9/11 is irrelevant. This war is not about avenging 9/11, but ensuring that it never happens again. Saddam has the desire to cause America direct harm on the scale (or worse) than 9/11. Given the opportunity he will do it! The only question is whether he has the means to carry it out. I think it is becoming obvious that he does, or will very shortly. Therefore, he poses an immediate threat to our security and should be dealt with accordingly.