[secretagent]

"The dictator who is assembling the world's most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages, leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind or disfigured.

Bush cites a massacre from the 80's, not a current massacre.

"Iraqi refugees tell us how forced confessions are obtained: by torturing children while their parents are made to watch. International human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of Iraq: electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, cutting out tongues, and rape."

Ongoing torture, but of how many? Bush doesn't say. Many, many countries use torture, including our allies in the region, I'll bet. But Bush did not allege mass murder here.

As to preventing ongoing massacres, Bush would have a better case invading the Congo.

If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning."

Agree, but greater evil operates in the Congo.

But for stopping an enemy with the proven will and ability to acquire WMD, hence threatening the US, invading Iraq seems reasonable to me.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Agree, but greater evil operates in the Congo."

I would not characterize what is going on in the Congo as a greater evil than Iraq,just evil. There was a thread here about 2 weeks ago,that was just horrific in it's detail of children having their arms macheted off and then roasted and eaten,while their mothers were forced to watch.The other details of cannibalism were equally as gruesome. What I asked,was- where is the African American community on this ? Why isn't Jesse Jackson et al leading the world to intervene? The Congressional Black Caucus? Where's the UN ? Not a peep out of any of them.We've got our hands full with Iraq and Afghanistan,it's time for someone else to step in and deal with this humanitarian disaster.A few French peacekeepers is not going to cut it.