To be honest, I don't see why the reasons you and crash have been exploring can't all be right at the same time.
I would want to put in one piece of evidence that I am unsure exactly who it helps. Did you see the final interview of Hussein before the invasion?
In that interview Hussein credited the massive military buildup and his troops' ousting from Kuwait as the sign he needed to understand what the world community wanted. That seems to support, and from his own lips, that he was unlikely to understand anything short of a threat of force.
That's one reason I had little problem if what Bush was doing was heavy sabre rattling. Too bad that was not the case.
Like I said I don't know if it really helps either side in this. I really feel like both of you have elements that make up the larger picture.
holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)
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