BenThere

You have good research and linking skills. In fact, enough to generate two or three posts for every one post by anyone else. Why don't you find the Joint Resolution authorizing military force and post it for us.

I do know that for 12 years, the Iraq government obstructed inspections to which it had agreed, tortured and murdered its citizens, threatened peace in the region, violated UN resolutions, scoffed at the warnings of military action prior to the invasion unless it complied with the peace terms of 1991, and was suspected of possessing WMD. Maybe you can tell us what would have happened had Hussein not been stopped.

Was it worth it? Well, since we can't construct a parallel universe and determine what would have happened if Hussein were still in power, we don't know.

We only know it has been difficult, made more difficult because of lack of unity in prosecuting it, which to my way of thinking resulted in more loss of life among Iraqis and our own soldiers. Further, that lack of unity was motivated both by legitimate dissent, which I support, and politcal strategy to undermine the Bush administration for the purpose of gaining power, which I deplore.

You could ask the same questions about WWII. You can ask the same questions about Afghanistan. It would be nice if wars didn't occur. But sometimes war is a better option than acquiescence, wouldn't you agree? Sometimes a smaller war now can prevent a bigger war later.

Chuks is right. Whether or not the Iraq invasion was wise, Obama's solution to withdraw (i.e. surrender, lose) in 2006 would have been a disaster. I'm sorry you don't see that.