From the New York Times.

It's interesting to see some of the tunnel vision of people I have seen quoting this article, which describes in detail Saddam's attempt to acquire a weapons system in gross violation of every U.N. sanction he was under.

I have honestly heard people telling me that the important part of this article is that they still haven't found active WMD programs.

Apparently of no importance is:

- Saddam's deliberate pattern of intent to deceive the U.N.

- The active complicity of Syria in helping Iraq acquire illegal weapons while actually seated on the U.N. Security Council, and deciding on Iraq's compliance with the U.N. weapons sanctions*

(and I haven't forgotten the convoy of trucks that left for Syria from Iraq before the war),

- The attempted acquisition of a weapon system that would threaten the entire Middle East (I believe the Rodong range is about 600 - 800 miles.)

*Any more questions on why the U.N. wasn't, and isn't, the best way to handle this kind of thing?