I suspect the purpose of this article is to send a message to certain interested parties and individuals in Iraq.And maybe even other places. There are FAR too many people who refuse to take the US seriously because we have a history of not abusing our power. These people are making a serious and fatal mistake if they take this to mean we won't respond in a unbelievably violent manner to any attack on our people that used chemical or bio weapons. Just because we work hard at being nice doesn't mean we can't be world-class nasty when it's called for.
I would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against an isolated regime, that is, on foreign soil but regional and distinct from the rest of that country's populace --- if I could corner the bad guys and "safely" use nuclear weapons against them, their having "zapped us" already, I'd nuke 'em; excluding such a situation that arose where said "region" was a part of or too near an ally of ours.
If the North Koreans launch an N.B.C. attack against Japan, I would ask Japan if they wished for us to aid in their retaliation, by use of nuclear weapons.
In all this, I would not use the "big" weapons; just the little ones; yet I would want to get a lot of damage, and efficiently, quickly.
Because we don't have time to mess around; and because, the enemy requires serious thumpin' so that the hurt up-side the head remains forever in their brain heavily drugged on fascism, be it fascist Islam and/or fascist nationalizing socialism.
However, I would not now attack Iraq for the reasons stated, alone; I would attack because that power has repeatedly proven to fit their self-constructed profile of being a threat to neighbors.
They are a threat to Saudi Arabia, and to Jordan, and to Israel, and to Syria and/or Iran, wherein they would happily ignite a W.M.D. and claim for propaganda reasons, that it was Israel of the Americans who did it.
In other words, time is really running out; and fast.
While in the States, Americans think we are the target, overlooked is how the fascist-socialist-Islamic-nutcases will kill their own en masse, to "gain" political advantage.
Since the temperature has been going up so rapidly of late, we now have to attack and entirely --- no little surgical strike will stop Saddam.
He'll blow up Damascus or some "friend" of his, just to establish evermore enmity among the Islamic "hood."
No thanks.