What did compel Saddam's regime to abandon its control over Iraqi Kurdistan, was the presence of British and American forces deployed in the area, to avert a humanitarian catastrophy in the form of thousands of Kurdish refugees flooding into Turkey and Iran. These troops were backed up by credible and capable air support.

True. And it was done without starting another war. Troops in the area ready to deploy, and capable air support were also present in 2003. The pressure was getting results. There was no immeduate need for war, and it is quite possible that Saddam could have been shifted without war.

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The "45 minute threat", as interpreted by the media, was badly wrong, in a way which served to strengthen the case for war. The Government wilfully failed to correct the false version of the "threat. This was a lie by omission, even if we accept that they actually believed in the existence of any such threat in the first place.