>Hate to disagree. But don't you remember C. Powell giving a press conference a year earlier where he stated that the combinations of sanctions and no fly zones had reduced saddam to a threat to no one. BBC broadcast it then. American media showed the interview sometime later (within the last year). As several of my Bathhist friends pointed out to me years ago, you will only replace Saddam(sp) with another Saddam if you intend to maintain the Iraqi state as the British defined it (Silly Americans). The Bathhist always sought to be our allies in spite of our other foolist relations in the Mideast. In case you haven't noticed, when we make a hasty withdrawl after the elections and chaos(sp) ensues, there will only be 2 winners Sharon(and the Neocons) and the Iranians. Hopefully someone can get Iraqi Oil production and sales back up to levels it would have been without the intervention of the bunglers Big Bush and little Bush. Stay tuned.

Mark,

I do remember that but I also remember that CWs were a major part of the later justification for going to war.

Personally, I see way too many comparisons to the former Yugoslavia to hold out much hope for a single, democratic Iraq. But I hope we don't withdraw and leave a vacuum before the Iraqi's resolve the issue.

Regards,