I am interested to see what resposes this thread gets. I will add my opinion after I see some comments.

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I sincerely believe that President Bush acted correctly, on the best intelligence available to him, and the legislative branch went along with it. I cannot personally speculate as to the accuracy of that intelligence information. I am prevented by regulations to elaborate further, as I am still employed by the federal government.

I didn't care much one way or another before the war happened.

Iraq under the regime would have always been a threat to the US directly and semi-directly. It would always have been a bloddy thorn in the US side with the potential of starting war on its terms ---- against Saudia Arabia, Isreal, again with Iran or Kuwait, and giving material aid to terrorist groups far beyond suicide bombers in Israel.

And post-war, I am still in the same general mind-set.

I'm glad the regime is gone, and I urge the US to stick it out in Iraq until a stable, democratic, global friendly nation is firmly established. If that takes 50 years like it has in South Korea, fine.

What people don't want to focus on, all the way around it seems, is a simple truth that what is best for both nations is now intertwined.

And if we can take Iraq off the bloodythorn list, the war will have been worth it.

This war was just an excuse for Cheney and his cronies to get another crack at big bad Sadam since they failed to in the 1990 Gulf War conflict. (You know, with the first President Bush...)

I agree with USINKOREA. The U.S.Government consensus was that there was a serious threat, and that Iraq had capability and intent to do harm again, as when they attacked Kuwait. The decision was made using the best intelligence available at the time. Even if it is later proven to be faulty, it was the best decision available. Sorry if everything is not always perfect. (Congress, including Democrats, just now voted to stay the course.)