...there will always be those who prefer an orderly slave camp than the anarchy which freedom seems to be by comparison.

As for pre-emptive war, only Iraq was classified such. To be quite honest, Bush didn't need to sell it in such a way and probably regrets doing so on his advisors recommendations.

He could have just come straight out and said,

"Saddam's days are numbered. his daily firing on US forces is an act of war on the US and we give him 48 hours to voluntarily exile himself."

We did offer him exile. However, the Europeans and the UN were sleeping with Saddam in bed and only an idiot would think this corruption wasn't used by Saddam to blackmail both UN positions and the positions France, Belgium, Germany andd Russia held towards Saddam's regime and against the US toppling Saddam.

Suffering occurs all over the world. We make more effort than any nation on Earth to minimalize collateral damage, the death of innocents and the needless loss of life.

ALL deaths that occur are tragic. No one celebrates them or advocates them. If US forces screw up or have rotten apples in the ranks, we act to clear them out and make it harder for the same screw up to happen twice.

3 years is nothing. In the bigger sceme of things 3 years is less than nothing. billions of lives and destinies were changed by our declaration of independence. Iraq now has its first taste of national freedom, free elections, etcetera and this will make a HUGE difference in MILLIONS of lives from this moment forward. Folks will remember how it felt to vote freely. Tens of thousands have sought a better life elsewhere and some will come back to Iraq with a whole new outlook.

You need to see beyond suffering Bowser. Beyond death. Beyond now. I see the future and it is a future where the middle east is far more civilized and where Islam has been reformed and millions of people in all the nations of the region live freer lives.

ALL evils have a positive side. Once you realize this, even though you don't choose evil over good, you can understand how evil will eventually express as a good.

Wailing, pulling hair and grieving is not a productive effort. Grieving is selfish and this is something most folks don't yet understand. The future for the middle east IS brighter and, like it or not, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Saddam and George Bush all will be somewhat responsible for these changes.

The Carter (negotiate), Clinton (ignore) and EU (take bribes) approach to the middle east were all failures. None of these methods changed the dynamics of the region or freed the people in it.

US intervention set off a chain of dominoes that can't be undone. It will end in some sort of freedom for many who would not before have it and it will also set off more violence and destruction from the lower elements in opposition to such motion. It CAN'T be otherwise.