Richard Clarke

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Originally posted by The Brain

Originally posted by header
Evidence points to the fact that he got rid of them disposed of them destroyed them whatever in 1991. However they spent 12 years with UN resolutions and pussyfooting around inspectors letting them in kicking them out letting them in kicking them out Why? What for? If they didn't have them if they destroyed them? Hussein got what he wanted. A war.

Damn, this is pretty much what we've been arguing about around here for the better part of the past year.

I don't think it was so much that Hussein wanted a war-- he sure as hell knew that without a massive pre-emptive strike against us, he had no chance of winning, and he sure wasn't going to get any backup from other Arab nations. I think it was more a show of force.

Remember, among Middle Eastern countries especially, force equals respect. If he tipped off his hand to the U.N. that he <i>didn't</i> have nuclear or chemical weaponry, he couldn't keep Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and-- this is major-- Israel, afraid of him.

I'll agree with this. Essentially though he bluffed thinking he would get a couple cruise missiles lobbed at him. I don't think he believed we would invade. We called his bluff and he's out of power. So basically he knew to some degree that this calculated risk he took could backfire on him.