[Physicist]

If terrorists armed with box cutters could kill 3,000 in a morning, what might they do with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons? That is the question that has consumed the Bush White House for the past 15 months. Facing it has to mean facing Mr. Hussein, the only man who has actually used weapons of mass destruction in war.

Well, that's part of it, but not nearly the main part. Think about it: now that Afghanistan has been neutralized, who are the three biggest supporters of anti-Western terrorism in the world?

I would say Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Each of them shares a long border with Iraq. Once we occupy Iraq, we have all three within a very short reach of a substantial American force. Iraq is a pawn (OK, maybe a bishop) that just happens to be sitting on a very useful square.

[arthurus]

would say Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Each of them shares a long border with Iraq

Judging from the press- newspapers, wire services, networks, talk radio, internet- almost nobody has grasped this.