Click here for the Economist piece that robomatic cited. Saddam's use of chemical weapons against the Kurds are well documented and really horrific, and were an experiment that he meant as practice for his destruction of Israel. He intends to be remembered in history as the "hero" who destroyed Israel. The New Yorker did a long and detailed article about this, about the hideous chemical attacks on the Kurds, which has been cited on the cat before, I don't have the address to hand. It's a blood-curdling piece.

I don't like the idea of the US attacking him, but neither do I like the idea of ignoring him, or of pretending he's not a real menace. I wish we had finished the job when we were there before -- but it's a very nasty piece of work. It would have been then, and it will be any time, and a lot of people on both sides will probably die. It makes me shudder to think that W may time his attack in order to restore his own approval ratings and give the Republicans a boost in the next election.