Jon, Sacramento ~ Ca … the U.N. weapons inspector teams were infiltrated by the CIA.

I actually seen two of them arguing this point (on a newscast that I can't recall the name of at the moment) several years ago. The two guys that were on the team went back and forth to the tune of something like: "How can you possibly say there WEREN'T any CIA personnel on the inspection teams since I was/am with the CIA and I was on the team working with you?. You're lying, and you know it!"

Anyways, due to their presence on the team (and perhaps more obvious reasons you can argue as well), Saddam restricted their access.

At which point Dubya pulled them out entirely and aborted their mission.

Rick ~ Chicago,

You wrote, "Ummm … The inspectors were NOT kicked out - they were pulled out by Dubya.

Yet another correction of yours by me."

Man - your ego digs you deeper and deeper into your own hole of denial. Here ya go, buddy. Read it and weep.

March 22, 2002 (The London Independent), Tensions rise as Iraq rejects the return of UN inspectors

"IRAQ HAS rejected the return of United Nations weapons inspectors in a step widely seen as bringing forward the possibility of another Gulf war.

The development yesterday came amid signs of discord within Tony Blair's Government, with Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development, stressing that Britain should not be part of any "mass scale attack" on Iraq. …"

Some more information from the London Times (March 5, 2002):
"Iraq persistently flouts the authority of the UN Security Council and international law. But the people who have suffered most of all from President Saddam Hussein's brutality are the Iraqis themselves. The threat from Iraq is not receding. Unique among the world's tyrants, Saddam has both the ruthlessness and capability to employ weapons of mass destruction"…

"The regime has admitted hiding weapons of mass destruction in the desert, in caves and in tunnels. It has admitted manufacturing chemical weapons like sarin and mustard gas, and biological agents like anthrax. The destructive potential of these weapons beggars the imagination. Nerve agents can cause death within minutes. Tiny doses of sarin or anthrax are deadly. UN weapons inspectors, denied access to Iraq, cannot account for large quantities of materials used to make these deadly substances. "

Need more Rickey?

FWBurr, Vestal, NY .. "And what’s at stack if we cut and run? Literally, everything! And if you don’t think so, you need a plastic navel so you can see where you’re going."

LOL .. "EVERYTHING" … just like you guys said about Nam right?

We paid our obligation - hundreds of billions of dollars and over 3,600 troop lives. Now its the IRAQI'S turn to step up and start fighting their own war for their own country. Not take vacations cuz it's "too hot" to govern!

The time for babysitting has long since passed.

Now, how many plastic navels would you like?

Jon, Sacramento ~ Ca .. speaking of someone needing to "get their facts straight" …

"However if you’re a sitting dictator and the army of your enemy is right next door - DO NOT invite military action by refusing to comply to repeated UN resolutions and kicking out UN inspectors."

Ummm … The inspectors were NOT kicked out - they were pulled out by Dubya.

Yet another correction of yours by me.

No charge for that one, but I must admit it's getting tiring correcting you on each post of each thread.

Good bye, John. Write if you find work.

Meanwhile, we have an obligation to leave Iraq better than we found it. We're not there, but if the "cut and run" lobby would just shut up for 5 minutes, we might just get there in next year or two. This ain't a barbecue, folks.

And what's at stack if we cut and run? Literally, everything! And if you don't think so, you need a plastic navel so you can see where you're going.

I wonder where John would go that is a better country than the USA? Would he be willing to give up his citizenship?

I wish that ending a war was as easy as dumping a girl after two dates: "It's not working out. Sorry. But I'm sure I'll see you around."

But David it's not.

David one thing you have to realize war, in this instance, is a synonym for "Peace Keeping". Additionally, Congress is unwilling to submit a bill de-authorizing the war nearly every single one of them felt the threat must be addressed. It would be admitting they were wrong and making it a point of conflict and battle has lead to a significant increase in fund raising. Why would they stop this huge inflow of cash? In the end it is all about the individual in Congress. This is a perfect political storm and none of them want it to stop.

You are right people are dying but you do not understand what will happen when these people take over parts of your city. It will happen! If you are unwilling to fight for the constitution when that comes to your door step is unacceptable.

I respect the service you have given to this country as I do not know you personally. You hold the ideal that what we are doing is not relevant to protecting all that you, my family and friends have fought for. Great Britain has walked away but look at the two major events of the past 24 months.

These people want to kill you, our ideas, our life and our faith no matter how much they differ from one another. When you run, they WILL chase you. You don’t seem to understand the effect it is having on people in the region positively. They are being killed in far greater numbers than us. We must stay until they have the courage to fight their own people. In America you would never see the National Guard fighting the citizens because they would fighting their families. If we as a people do not stand up for the poor, the sick, the enslaved, who will. Who is there to give hope to the next generations? The impact we are having on the kids is the future. We may not see major results for 6-10 years when those kids are able to have an impact.

Yes, we have made mistakes and as an independent conservative I think everyone is to blame for that. Both sides have good arguments, but the day there is ACTUAL, REAL, IMPACTFUL legislation on the table and Congress truly wants to solve the problem, it will be done together. President doesn’t sign it, keep giving it to him until he can no longer deny it. The only way for change is action, so Congress I call for REAL action if this is what you truly believe. Submit a bill every day, write an official letter every day outlining solutions, go on T.V./Radio every day outlining real, planned and deployable solutions. Saying we have made mistakes doesn’t address anything.

Jerry R. Reynolds
Blog: Alimoe The General

No reason to stay on a sinking ship.
I would of jumped to.

David,

Congress did not Declare a War and the "war" being pushed by President Bush is against Terrorism and Regimes that supported terrorists. This is an undeclared war therefore you can't "de-authorize" something that was not declared. The ONLY approach congress can take (aside from trying to negotiate with the President) is to stop funding. This of course risks the democrats as being labeled anti-soldier because monies used for their pay, replacement munitions, body armor, etc will cease. Are you prepared to starve and further risk the lives of our soldiers?

IRAQ did have WMDs (ask "chemical Ali", ask the surviving relatives of the thousands of gassed Kurds, ask Iran, etc). What was NOT found was the huge stockpiles anticipated. Maybe the large stock piles never existed? Maybe they were moved to supporting countries (Syria)? We DO know Saddam repeatedly thumbed his nose at UN Inspectors, UN Resolutions, used WMDs on his people, previously invaded Kuwait, and continued to pose a threat to other nations. Was Iraq involved in 9/11? No. However if you're a sitting dictator and the army of your enemy is right next door - DO NOT invite military action by refusing to comply to repeated UN resolutions and kicking out UN inspectors.

You may be completely against the efforts our good men and women are fighting for in Iraq… but PLEASE get your facts straight.

I'm with you. Unfortunately this is America now, and no longer the United States of America. Everyone thinks individually and getting support for anything is next to impossible unless you share the exact same views, which oddly enough, people don't seem to share the same view that you just described, one of common sense and urgency. This country is completely going to hell. I will leave if Obama is not elected. I will probably never come back unless to visit family either, cause honestly I can't imagine missing that much of this hell hole that we currently call USA.

someone needs to ask them this……………

this is the only way!!!!!!!!! to stop this adminastration. period..the only way bush has no way of vetoing. so why haven't they done this?

both party are dragging this on to far. its time to end this for god sake

so call on congress to do this NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Article 1 of the US Constitution gives the Congress, not the President, the right to declare war. And the War Powers Act specifies that the President may not continue a war without Congressional authorization. Saddam is dead. There never were any WMDs or ties to Al Qaeda. The basis for the 2002 war authorization is gone.
If Congress passes a resolution de-authorizing the war, the President has no legal authority to continue. De-authorization cannot be vetoed, and it would legally require Bush to begin bringing the troops home.
The time for waiting is over. People are dying every day. We cannot wait until this fall to start bringing our troops home. If Congress doesn't act before they leave for the summer, the only thing that will change between now and the end of the year is the body count.
Congress has a public mandate and the Constitutional authority to end this war.

LETS GO AMERICA WE OWE THIS TO OUR TROOPS DIEING FOR NOTHING BUT THE PRESIDENTS AND MR VP'S PLEASURE, AND PROFITS…..