>>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.
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>I re-read Powell's speech to the U.N.:
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>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77695,00.html
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>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.

Here's one reference that does it for me "The United States will not and cannot run that risk to the American people. Leaving Saddam Hussein in possession of weapons of mass destruction for a few more months or years is not an option, not in a post-September 11th world." and here's another "The gravity of this moment is matched by the gravity of the threat that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction pose to the world. Let me now turn to those deadly weapons programs and describe why they are real and present dangers to the region and to the world.".

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

At the U.N., but in speeches at home imminent was stated many times. I don't have the internet prowess to find the references, but I'm sure you can. Thanks for those other links.

cheers

SNIP