Sorry about the anon posting yesterday, I didn't realise I was in cookieless.

Whether Doug likes it or not, the vast majority of Iraqi people were better off before the invasion, and even more relevantly were much better off before 10 years of sanctions by the worlds richest nation and everyone else it could bully into joining in.

Iraqi hospitals and health care were the best in the region and open to all comers. We know this because in those days the UN and Western journalists could travel about the country and see for themselves.

Saddams regime was brutal and dictatorial, however this is not unusual in a areas of constant war where the the conflict is continually stoked and armed by external forces.

The true road to peace and Democracy lies in making peace and democracy more successful than war and oppression.   You cannot teach the world to respect international law and standards when you are the most visible violator of that law and those standards. When you set up Guantanamo to be outside of any law or jurisdiction. When you say in the run up to invading another country that it does not matter what the UN says you are going to wreak destruction on a much smaller and weaker nation how can you criticise any violent actions from anyone with a cause to espouse?