"Bush, Powell, Cheney, et. al. were laying out all their convincing 'proof' in 1998?"

Sorry to tell you this but I voted for George W. Bush in 2000. I changed my regiatration to vote for McCain in the primary after 32 years as a registered Democrat. Actually, in 1998 when Mick's post was made, I had no idea who George W. Bush was. I knew of Cheney, Rumsfeld and a few others as Nixon, Reagan and George Bush associates. Certainly anything George W. Bush and Dick Cheney talked about back then had no effect on our foreign policy.

Powell was the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is credited with keeping the coalition troops (1991) from going on into Baghdad and getting Saddam. George Bush said he did not have permission as per UN resolution. It called only for the removal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Most of the joint chiefs said with certainty "get him how" but they were overuled.

Mick's post is "as written". As a scientist, I cannot tamper with such things anymore the a doctor can refuse to treat people.