Spin and Nu2salt: The information I posted before about WMDs and the Iran-Iraq war comes directly from a GOVERNMENT issued information book for my Israeli-Palestinian Conflict class. I can footnote the info if you wish (the book is from 2000 when Clinton was in office).

Spin: You are right about the attack on the Kurds in 1988, that is what I was refering to in the Anfal campaign...same thing. What I was quoting was the fact that even the US was not happy that Iraq used chemicals in its war with Iran. I was a bit perplexed by that myself considering the timing of the attack. So I read more on the subject and here's what I found:

March 26, 1984: US begins relations with Iraq (broken since 1967), as a way to counter Iran (which was recieving aid from USSR).

1986: Iraq severs ties with US due to Iran-Contra deal.

1987: USS Stark accidentally bombed by Iraqi jets, again relations suffer.

1988: US denounces attacks in Kurdish region.

***Keep in mind that Israeli jets bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor of Osirak in 1981. The reactor was built with French aid. If Iraqis could develop nuclear weapons with French help, how hard could it be to develop bio/chemical weapons on their own or via another European power?
Osirak

Nu2Salt: You said before that we were attcked by bin Laden and we struck at Iraq.

I seem to remember exactly 3 years ago on this VERY day when we began bombing Afghanistan. We need to think of Iraq as a second front from which we can put pressure on the real powerhouse in terms of terrorism: Iran. A 2 front war on Iran could cut our casualties by as much as 50%, should we ever need to wage war with them. This is the country you liberals are most worried about (as am I) so you'll support a 2-front war with them I am sure :rolleyes: .

In World War II, we invaded Italy before Germany because it is was the weakest of our enemies. I know Italy declared war on us in 1941 but I think Saddam's actions are tantamount to a declaration of war:
-17 resoltutions violated or failed
-firing daily on allied aircraft in no-fly zones
-planning the assasination of one our Presidents
-expulsion of UN inspectors more than once
-funding of Hamas terrorists
-links to al-Qaeda (abu Musab al-Zarqawi)
-links to international terror (abu Nidal, abu Abbas)
-one of the most brutal dictatorship ever

Finally, in reference to what Val stated earlier about his family coming from the USSR. You and your family endured the bloodiest dictatoship on earth, and God is definitely watching over you if your family was able to escape.

My mother left Fidel Castro's bloody dictatorship in 1961, as he began to convert Cuba into a communist nation. My grandmother (who is 81) hasn't seen her sisters in 43 years, my grandfather the same.

My father's family was in Chile during the overthrow of the Allende government in 1973 (my father was living in Spain at the time) and although Pinochet was bloody, they prefered his rule over the communists.

And finally (I feel like Nu2Salt :p ) my grandparents family (all from Spain) fought against the communists during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939.

I might not have personally experienced a communist dictatorship, but have heard enough to know about their brutality.