[GAsux]

It's a strange thing to ponder really. Since no WMD have been found, it would appear to be a safe assumption that they don't exist. But it doesn't make sense.

Saddam has spent decades struggling to retain his stranglehold on power. He clearly demonstrated that he didn't care who he had to kill to maintain his grip. Perhaps I could rationalize that in 1998 he didn't believe that Clinton was committed enough to seriously jeopardize his regime so he felt comfortable in pushing the envelope.

But under the Bush administration, particularly in the face of obvious military mobilization, surely Saddam didn't intend to call Bush's bluff did he? If there are not now and never were any WMDs, why would he do this? Why would he risk what would certainly been the end of his reign, and quite possibly his life in an effort to continue to thumb his nose at the U.N.?

I guess that will always sort of baffle me. I suppose one could try to make the case that HE did try, and that the U.N. and U.S. stiffled him, placing him in a no win stituation, but I don't think that's the case. He played the hide and seek shells game for over a decade. Why would he do all that if he truly had nothing to hide? It's so irrational.

I'm certainly not saying that this is proof that weapons DO exist, or did. Just that it seems like a curious move on Saddams part for the last half a decade at least to play this suicidal game if there was nothing to hide in the first place.