Nah, it would just mean the original world-accepted intelligence was good; the more localized, second-guesswork "intelligence" was/is faulty. I look at it this way... if I were Saddam and I knew that the fan was truly about to become befouled, I would find a way to remove all traces of WMDs. Burying them wouldn't be an option... they'd be found eventually. Destroying them wouldn't be prudent, because then they'd be lost to further negotiation tactics... and what to do with all the witnesse? I'd try to get them out of the country along with the people transporting them. And there certainly are countries nearby who would've been grateful to absorb whatever stockpile Saddam had. Even if we could find the people responsible, and that's a huge "if," I don't think any of 'em are going to be talking any time soon.

My main problem with the Iraq plan is that we tipped our hand way too early. It took us months to get troops on the ground, and all that time these weapons could have been on the move, along with the people who did the moving. Remember, there was a constant stream of cars, trucks, etc. in a mass exodus leading up to the invasion. How difficult would it have been to conceal and transport chemical weapons across the (un-guarderd) borders?

And as far as cooperating the "last time" -- how could he know it was the last time? I'm quite sure he felt it was just another posturing move on the world's part and that in the end he'd still be in power. Why would he come to any other conclusion? For 11 years the world had been threatening him in various ways to no avail.

Up until our troops were knocking on the door, he continued to thumb his nose. Even toward the end -- before we invaded -- Saddam was given the option to quit the country and leave peacefully. He refused... he was removed. That was the "mission accomplished" to which Bush was referring. The nation building part, as Bush correctly informed us prior to invasion, is a lengthy process.

Look at us... the first 100 years of our independence were rocky to say the least. And we still hear about how difficult life is in the countries formerly known as the Soviet Union. That's been what... 15 years now? And that one was scary. I still remembering the world holding its collective breath in the mid 90s when missiles went missing, tanks were said to be rolling, and there was grumbling of the Soviets reclaiming military control. Knowing these things, why would anyone believe (even if Bush *had* tried to claim it) that we could turn Iraq around in less than 3 years as if it were some sort of fast food offering (would you like fries with your new democracy? Free elections in 30 minutes or your WMDs are free?)

>From the above it is quite clear that, if it was the case he had WMD until slightly before, the intelligence failure was far greater than first estimated! The hundreds of millions spent after the war to find those WMD, INCLUDING arresting anyone with minor connections to learn ANYTHING possible about them would surely have turned up evidence of such weapons' shipment or destruction or burial or?????.
>Again, we see what we want to see...
>The original inspectors, after the defection of Saddam's son-in-law, destroyed tons of WMD. It's possible they got them all.
>
>By the way, I agree that your 5 steps were in operation for years. But the last time it was different, and Saddam was given NO option but to continue with the unrelenting pressure and I am quite comfortable with the notion that he was ready to accept asylum some where.
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>SNIP