I think Kevin's contention regarding how Bin Laden views any forthcoming war in Iraq is immaterial. Al-Qaeda and other like minded groups have already declared their intent - the destruction of the way of life in the United States of America and the elimination of everything it stands for. It matters not one jot, what any American administration does, your avowed enemy will still be there as implacable as ever. The way they fight, the schemes they can draw together to carry-out their attacks do not rely on numbers, quite the reverse in fact - in a way large numbers actually work against them.

As for the various Polls - apart from the Boer War and the First World War, I can't think of a war that the polls weren't markedly anti prior to commencement of hostilities (Second War War especially)

Little Hawk says that this is 1939 all over again - its not, its 1934. Saddam Hussein has already been pulled up once and has refused to honour the demand of the international community that he disarm and unilaterally declare that the regime in Iraq relinquishes the development, manufacture and use of weapons of mass destruction. If left to his own devices, he will rearm and once rearmed he will be a much more difficult proposition to deal with at some time in the future - of that we can be certain. Left to his own devices he will continue to oppress the Shi'ite and Kurdish people within Iraq. Left to his own devices he will ensure that there never can be any peaceful settlement to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Does he support terrorist organisations that operate outwith his borders - yes he does and does so very publicly (He was the only national leader to applaud the events of 11th September). Is it outwith the bounds of possibility that he will not at some time support an international terrorist group intent on striking at some target in the West - I do not believe that that possibility does not exist - it therefore should not be discounted.

The United States of America did not put Saddam Hussein in power - he did that himself - the occasion was under a plan for the Ba'athist Parties in Syria and Iraq to unite to strike at Israel. Under the terms of this amalgamation Saddam Hussein had no part to play, so he took over as leader of the Ba'athist Regime in Iraq, in what was a fairly bloody internal Ba'athist coup that is very well documented. The United States of America did not sell, or supply Saddam Hussein with WMD - what the united States of America did supply him with were cultures intent on allowing Iraq to improve and develop counter-measures against chemical, bacteriological and biological weapons - the shipment was so massive that it was transported back to Baghdad as part of the Iraqi Scientists hand luggage.

A golden opportunity was missed 12 years ago, Saddam Hussein, and his ruling Ba'athist Party, have it solely in their power to avert this war - they seem extremely reluctant to do so - because disarmed and without the threat of mass terror they know that their days are numbered. If it has to be done, and I do believe that it has to be done - then do it now, preferably with UN backing. I look forward with interest to what Dr Hans Blix and Dr Mohammed AlBaradei have to report to the UNSC on Friday.