Thank the lord we don't have a pantie-waste like you in charge of this country. However, its very magnanomous of you to sacrifice a few million Americans, not to mention ruin the quality of life for the other 300 million Americans before you'd act. Better make sure someone does enough damage to the US so we can have the support of our allies when we retaliate.
Oh BTW, did you ever think that when Sadaam's doctors tell him he's got cancer and has 6 months to live, do you really think he'll care about Iraq'a destruction. I think not. He's bent on destroying the US. And while you'd wait and destroy Iraq, making it the world's largest parking lot after the US takes a devastating hit, you'd be killing all the innocent Iraq's in the process. Pretty good plan Leroy. A regime change, by use of force, at least gives the freedom-hungry, liberty-starved people of Iraq the chance to start over. Unfortunately, your plan wouldn't allow that.
The 'smoking hole' refers to political reality...I'm not the one charged with making that decision, so it matters very little what I would do.
If you really believe your argument, why are you not actively involved in gunning-down a third of the populace of the town where you live? After all, many of them have guns, and you know one of them is gonna go on a rampage and kill many, many people. It is your duty to prevent that, to protect all those other innocent women & children. Hop to it!
Sound a little ridiculous?