Ebbie,

In answer to your question, posed in your post of, 30 Jun 04 - 09:10 PM.

1. I think the US was selective in the case of Saddam Hussein because they were specifically warned about him. That information regarding the warning given by the Russians is the only "new" piece of information that has come to light in months, and it is very relevant.

2. During the time of Stalin's worst purges, the USA was strictly isolationist in its view of world politics.

3. Idi Amin, Papa Doc, Pol Pot, etc, etc, lasted as long as they did because the international community stood by the Charter of the United Nations as it stood at the time, i.e. they cannot interfere in the internal affairs of member states. Saddam would have been in the same category had he not invaded Kuwait. I believe things have altered now and the UN can act in cases of apparent genocide. That is why there is so much tap-dancing going on at the moment regarding classifying what is happening in the Sudan region of Darfur. If the UN calls it genocide they are then compelled to act, and for reasons best known to themselves, the UN hates being forced to act.