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President Bush was faced with a no-win situation following 9/11. It was demanded by the majority that we respond to those who attacked us and those who supported them. Unlike other wars of the past our enemies were not defined by one country but one main region. In order to strike our enemies we needed a major base of operation.

When we look at Iraq of the 1990's we saw a brutal dictatorship that suppressed freedom and condoned mass killings. It was a country seeking nuclear and biological capabilities. Let us remember that Israel bombed a nuclear facility in Iraq in the 1980's. Let us also remember the name Hans Blix. The UN weapons inspector that was a star of the nightly news for years. How many times was his team denied access to storage facilities or threatened with violence? The whole world knew that Iraq was hiding something. There are hours upon hours of news coverage in the archives that stress this point. Too bad no media outlet seems willing to do a follow-up story in fear it may support Bush.

Intelligence Agencies around the world stepped up efforts to help the U.S. gather information after 9/11. They concluded that Iraq was either involved or was capable of aiding terrorist organizations. At this point it was clear that the decision be made to take out Saddam.

Looking back at the speeches and press conferences the President held it was clear that this was not going to be an easy fight. President Bush laid out his case to the world and to the American people. He clearly explained that any military action we take will not see a clear victory. It would be a fight that most of us will not see end within our life times. This was a bold statement for a President looking to take his country to war. Never the less our troops were sent off when the American people backed their Commander-in-Chief. Patriotic songs were written, bumper stickers placed and a sense of pride restored. Those opposed sat patiently waiting for the first misstep to pounce.

Was oil ever a deciding factor? I would think so. Our war machine, our transportation, our means of survival as a country depend on stability in the Middle East. This is why we needed a strong base of operations there. Iraq was the logical conclusion to secure the Middle East and secure our economy.

Few Presidents' have had to make such a massive decision as George Bush. It will be many years before we realize the extent his decisions make on history. But faced with a no-win situation he has boldly decided on a course of action.

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