[Mephisto]

Originally posted by SamuraiProgrammer:
What I really want is for you to realize that this country must find a way to make sure that 9/11 does not happen again.

That you can never achieve. Not in an civil society were we all value our freedom to mind our own business without government interference in everything. To make sure that it will never happen you have to at least install a totalitarian government. You might walk the streets safe again without fear of being a crime victim in such a state but when they ring your doorbell to get you, you might wonder if it was worth it. Mind you, my grandma and grandpa have lived through this. Never again.
If you "just" want to reduce the likeliness of such an act of terrorism, that's a good thing to do. But will you reach it that aim in the end by invading Iraq?
I don't think so. When the US attacks Iraq, the ranks of the terrorists will once again grow with dissatisfied and hateful people willing to bLast themselves into orbit if they can take just one US citizen with them.
What about the Kurds in northern Iraq? The already are independent from Baghdad because of US military air support and have formed an autonomic northern Kurdish Iraq. Now the Kurds fear that in the wake of the US troops the Turks will come in and never leave again. They are even ready to fight the Turks! For them it's not a blessing when the US invades but maybe the end to their very young government and freedom.
Iraq exile opposition is on the barricades because the Bush administration will install a military government over Iraq to form it into an democratic state - without the Iraqi people the US prepared and supported for this event since the Last gulf war.
But if you really must go to Iraq, please, make it right, don’t leave premature! If you really want to establish a solid democracy in Iraq you have to de-baath it and stay there until some democratic culture has been established. Are you willing to stay that long? Are you willing to stay there when most of the population hate your guts? Bush has already announced that he won't stay long in Iraq (2 years IIRC). Make that 20 years to make it right. In an hostile environment. Where no one, not the people in Iraq nor the neighbours like you. With Northern Korea knocking on the nuclear door. And Osama still on the run.
I hope for the best but fear for the worst…