"We can infer nothing. Does the fact that Al- Qaida has not attacked the mainland United States in two years mean it has stopped trying? These groups act according to their own timetable, and do their best not to be caught."
Al Qaida, is an avowed anti-U.S. muslim extremist terrorist group. Iraq was a Baathist dictatorship. I don't really see what group they fit into ("these groups"). I guess you could fit them into "nations or associations of people who bear enmity towards the United States," which is pretty broad.
"He seems to have shared missile technology with North Korea. That is enough to establish a basis of further cooperation in the future."
Yes, North Korea provided Saddam with missile technology. I agree that North Korea is a grave threat.
"They were balking at joining us because they were scared of repercussions, and did not trust that we would finish the job. And, Iraq had missiles fully capable of delivering payloads to his neighbors."
What repercussion could be more serious than the prospect of Iraq hegemony? Also, I would imagine that Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria and Turkey also have missiles fully capable of delivering payloads to their neighbors.
"Do you think that America would invade if he did not enter a country, but merely bullied it?"
Given that we invaded without any bullying on their part, yes, I think America would invade if Iraq bullied a country.
"And suppose that he entered a country: might it not change the public's calculation if they expected troops to be met with gas attacks or biological agents?"
I don't think so, as this time around we fully expected our troops to be met with gas attacks or biological agents. That's why we made our troops get all those shots and wear chemical-resistant suits.
"As long as he hated the Kurds, Shi'ites, and Israelis, and could develop the means to deal with them once and for all, he was a threat. A threat is not a certainty, it is a plausible danger......... "
To be honest, the well-being of the Kurds and Shi'ites is not particularly important to me. I doubt he could deal with either once and for all, as Turkey has a lot of Kurds and Iran is full of Shi'ites.
With respect to Israel, it has enough nukes to destroy Iraq 20 times over, and I imagine if they felt sufficiently threatened, it would do so. |
