Did Bush manipulate Iraq data?

[kandrathe]

Actually my recollection was that it was the UN that was struggling to keep their peace keepers convoys from getting creamed which resulted in US planes providing high cover. The situation was seriously out of control. Finally, NATO organized the invasion, but in fact was technically in violation of international law. The US was(and still is actually) a reluctant participant, which had the 150,000 man army that was needed.

I don't think economic sanctions, boycotts, or blockades are good long term strategies for bringing rogue nations into compliance. What happens is what we saw with Iraq. The increasing human toll generates sympathy for the nation being punished, while painting the enforcers as brutal. Saddam was increasingly then able to engineer a smuggling operation, and given enough time the sanctions were becoming less and less effective. He was also funneling the monies meant for food and medicine into other military purposes. It was because of Saddam remaining in power that a second war was probably inevitable. The US was wrong in its heavy handed diplomacy, and this was distasteful to me and many in the US, and many around the world. I personally think that the softening of our realtionship with Iran, and their aid in helping to install Karzi in Afghanistan lessoned our 1991 reasons for keeping Saddam in power in Iraq. So, then add to that our suspicions and fears that some rogue states might covertly sell WMD's to terrorist groups. It is a situation that, now after 9/11 would no longer be tolerated by our gevernemnt if we are to be able to defend ourselves from this catastrophic form of death. I was so hopeful that Mr. Blix would find something substantial, but alas I fear now that Iraq's officials have secreted any evidence of these weapons away very well.

To your final thoughts on the relationship with France, back to WWII. I would say as a nephew, and grandson of a few of the soldiers that fought in France, that it was our honor to repay France in some part for its role in providing the impetus for our creation. I would like to thank France for the influence of such great persons like the Marquis de Lafayette on our early founding fathers. And, then also for a favorite of mine, Alexis de Tocqueville. We did come in 1945, if not a bit late, and much thanks must also go to Russia for holding out as tenaciously as they did. If not for that Russian tenacity, it would have been a different world today. In many ways the early US is a creature of French creation, from the conflict with our then common foe, the British, to your Revolutionary fervor, to the Louisiana purchase, and then our more recent alliances against fascism and dictators.