Okay, now what the hell is this all about? Saddam is suddenly going to become a nice, cooperative guy?

"If he cooperates, then the basis of changed-regime policy has shifted because his regime has, in fact, changed its policy to one of cooperation," Powell said in an interview with a London-based Arab newspaper released Monday by the State Department.

What would be the hard evidence that Saddam is "cooperating" to the point where we decide it's okay to leave him in power for another decade? After we came within inches of wiping him out before, how cooperative was he then after signing and then breaking all kinds of agreements?

This viewpoint is particularly loopy in light of the revelations on North Korea lying to us about their arms agreements. Does anyone have any doubt that Saddam would keep right on doing whatever he wants, only more carefully?