[Gunrunner2]

"That's not blaming America first. It's blaming a bad situation on a miscommunication. "

Actually, the way I see it you are blaming America first.

You say WE failed in our communication and this CAUSED him to believe we did not object to his plans for an invasion. Saddam is not to be held accountable for his actions? Miscommunication? Perhaps, but Saddam was the one intent upon invading. Again, do you really think a finger wag at him would have stopped him, especially given the fact that a build-up of 500,000 US troops didn't convince him to leave?

"Are you really denying that Kuwait was slant drilling under the Iraq border? "

Wherever did I say anything about that accusation? Never addressed it.

"What self-respecting country would accept that? "

None, and this brings up an interesting logic trail of yours.

It is clear you saying that because of slant drilling Saddam was justified in invading Kuwait.

Therefore, it follows that our objection to his planned invasion would have been unjustified and illegitimate, after all, slant drilling is cause for war and he would be defending his country.

It also follows, then, that our war to kick him out of Kuwait was an unjust war and illegitimate because Saddam invaded for a just cause.

Therefore, as I see it: You blame the US for not convincing him to not invade, while at the same time you argue he had just cause to invade---ergo, any US warning before his invasion would have been unjust, as Saddam had sufficient reason to invade.

You also say that he would not have invaded if we merely said "don't," but you ignore the fact that he did not leave Kuwait when we had 500,000 men built-up to force him out, and again, because of slant drilling he was justified in invading and therefore our war was unjust.

Simply put, you are arguing we were wrong to not warn him off as he had cause, and we were wrong to to force him out because he had cause. Basically, you are blaming America first.

How else to understand your point?

I mean, if he was justified in invading Kuwait because of slant drilling, then no matter what we said would convince him not to invade, and any arguments we made against his invasion would have been illigetimate, as would be our war to throw him out.

Actually, Saddam claimed Kuwait as, what, the 19th Province of Iraq. Saddam was claiming to re-unite Kuwait with Iraq.

What about the Iran/Iraq war?

Was he wrong there?

Is the US to blame?

Saddam wanted to rule the region.

"More Iraqi people would be alive today and there wouldn't be so much uncertainty in the entire region."

Actually, I see much more certainty now than when Saddam was in power. He was clearly intent upon claiming the region as his invasion of Iran, his invasion of Kuwait, and his intent to invade Saudi makes clear.

Saddam was hardly a calming presence in the region.

[ValenB4]

Saddam was not justified in invading Kuwait just because it was slant drilling. Someone may be stealing from you but you do not have the right to kill him. An invasion is too great a response to theft. Our mistake was not in being clear before he did so. That was an internal Arab affair. And I do believe he would have listened to a strong US response, just as France and Britain listened to Eisenhower as they were going to take the Suez Canal away from Naser.