Hmm. Well, I've read opinions similar to what you say, Jack. And I've heard other sources that say it was primarily because Saddam starting pegging Iraqi oil to the Euro, not the dollar. Could be both, I guess. I'm no authority on the subject.

I think it may just have been very convenient for people like Cheney and Wolfowitz that "W" was so pissed at Saddam. That helped them do what they wanted to do regardless. Yeah, they thought it would be cheap and easy, because they had a huge military advantage over Saddam's badly weakened and ill-equipped forces. They figured it would be a cakewalk. And in conventional terms, it was...but then comes the occupation! No cakewalk.

Hitler thought that way too...every time he launched a new campaign. Even the one in Russia...he said "Just kick in the front door and the whole rotten facade will collapse." Fascists are just natural optimists, I guess.