If Al-Qada never existed, and Saddaam never had ties to a non-existent Al-Qada, the grounds for entering war with Iraq would remain essentially unchanged.
The Bush administration did not point to 911 as a basis for entering Iraq, and it did not point heavily to Al-Qada as a basis for entering Iraq.
The fundamental basis for entering Iraq was Iraq’s reemergence as a resource-rich nation state, and it being/having:
- a well-armed nation state
- hostile intent to the west,
- unaccounted-for stocks of previously measured chem-bio weaponry
- distablizing intent to the oil producing region
- a recent history of military attacks on our military air flights
- claims of possession of chem-bio weaponry in statements to Iran
Saddaam had ties to Al-Qada, but it wasn’t these ties per se that weighed heavily in the decision to go to war. Instead, it was the previously mentioned list above, plus the expectation that a hostile, resource-rich nation state, would pass these resources along to any of many tansnational, militant terror groups, that led to the decision to enter Iraq with military forces.
By the way... If the Clinton administration hadn’t abrogated its responsiblity to enforce the conditions placed on Iraq at the end of Gulf War I, then Bush never would have been faced with a war decision.
Let’s not forget the resolutions that Saddam broke. After the first Iraq war, you break ANY resolution (not to mention the 18 that were actually broken) and the war can begin anew as if it never ended.