Keith Willshaw wrote:

"Yama" wrote in message


"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message

"George Z. Bush" wrote in message
...
But, without the weapons that they're probably not going to find because
they
don't exist, how badly could those programs have injured anybody?

Today not all

In 5 years time when the sanctions have been lifted
and Iraq can buy all the components it wants and
go back into production of WMD and the missiles
to carry them who knows ?

But that wasn't the point, was it? US&UK attacked Iraq because of it's
supposed _immediate_ threat. If you start invading coutries based on their
ability to develope WMD and ballistic missile capability within 5 years,
there probably are like, oh, 100 nations which need to be invaded right
away.

The ability to develop weapons programs and the act
of having clandestine weapons programs specifically
prohibited by the UN are somewhat different beasts.

The Iraqi regime having invaded two of its neighbours and
having use WMD on its own people was a known threat.

The fact that they have indeed been found to be developing
such clandestine programs seems to indicate the leopard
hadnt changed its spots. Now the inquiry into the Hutton
affair seems to indicate some doubt about how immediate
various sources thought was correct, however when dealing with
a regime as secrestive as Iraq its always going to be hard to
get it right

Interestingly (and ironically) the war has allowed us to more fully know
what Saddam was doing. OK, no apparent *readily available" WMDs, but
very definitely programs and even materials ready for rapid start up
as soon as the sanctions went away.

The Kay report pretty much shows that the UN inspections *did* slow
and hamper Saddam's weapons programs. The report does also show that
the UN inspections didn't know all that was going on, and never would.
Only actual occupation by US/UK has allowed us to more fully know what
was going on.

Now, there is more and more evidence being uncovered that Bush and Blair not
only exaggarated and were ignorant about true Iraqi capabilities, they were
downright lying to public about them.

Why should international community believe them ever again?

And yet you'd have us believe Saddam Hussein and presumably
lift the sanctions, which were killing more Iraqis per year than
the war, if you believe the relief organisations.

Fact is the situation was a running sore, the options were
ignore the infection or lance the boil.

As someone put it, Saddam Hussein himself was a WMD and he is [perhaps
only for the moment] gone.

For me, that is good enough!


SMH