A number of points[list=1]
[*]Saddam Husain has used chemical weapons on his own people
[*]He also invaded Kuwait and needed to be ejected by force because he did not comply with UN resolutions to withdraw.
[*]Over the years since the ceasefire in the Gulf War Saddam Husain has tried to build up his weapons of mass destruction and manipulated the sanctions to oppress the people of Iraq.
[*]Saddam Husain remains a cause of instability in the gulf region
[*]UN Resolution 1441 Requires Saddam Husain to disarm and prove it. There has been a cat and mouse game with UN Weapons inspectors as Saddam's regime have tried to hide WMD.
[*]Weapons inspectors have found spent chemical weapons shells and missiles with a range beyond that permitted by UN resolutions. Saddam Husain is in clear material breach of resolution 1441
[*]If we are not prepared to use force to implement UN resolutions then tyrants around the world will be emboldened to seek to use wmd.
[*]If it is seen that we are in a capacity to use overwhelming force, and are prepared to follow through, these types of regime are more likely to comply with UN Resolutions.
In the wild west the Colt 45 was nicknamed the peacemaker
[*]If we appear weak and devided like NATO is at the moment, courtesy of France Belgium and Germany, then we are not taken seriously and war is MORE LIKELY
[*]Anti-war movements play into the hands of these tyrants
(For a discussion of a historical parallel this was an excellent Letter from America )
[*]It appears that people are still thinking back to WW2 with regards to mass carpet bombing. This tactic is a waste of resourses and modern munitions are more targeted. The death rate will not be into the millions.
[*]To ignore the threat from a dictator because it appears that they have not attacked us, is short sited and parocial and smacks of the "I'm all right Jack"
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