>Sorry, Chris, but BOTH were claimed - the EXACT reasoning for threatening war. Review Secretary Powell's speech at the U.N. (which, by the way, had me believing that there **probably** were WMD in Iraq but left me unconvinced as regards Al-Quaida link) and you'll see it clearly.

I re-read Powell's speech to the U.N.:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77695,00.html

While you were right about the links to Al Qaeda, there was no mention by Powell of an imminent threat. I got confused with links to 9/11, which the administration has never made.

When President Bush spoke to the U.N., he called Iraq a "grave and growing threat". Not an imminent one.

>>We won't wait for a permission slip from the U.N. We learned enough from Bosnia and Rwanda on that.
>
>President Bush didn't say "from the U.N.". Seems to me there was agreement (i.e. the permission slip) as regards Bosnia (from NATO).
>What was it that the U.S. learned as regards the Rwanda experience?

I am not sure I understand what you wrote. My point is that the U.S. will not wait for U.N. action because U.N. action is a joke. It failed miserably with the situations in Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Rwanda.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/unbos.htm

http://www.globalpolicy.org/reform/un99.htm