++ [ originally posted by HWIENIAWSKI
] ++
if the US gov. had thought that Saddam had working nuclear weapons, do you think we would have invaded and risked nuclear war???? and actually while there may not have been an actual contract between Al-Qaeda, I'll bet that there was at least a "as long as you hurt the US, we'll leave you alone" type of relationship going on. and since Iraq doesn't have a working government at the moment, how could they have ties with AL-Qaeda?

if what you mean is terrorist cells functioning in Iraq, well, only an idiot would argue otherwise. and that is precisely why the US is staying in Iraq-to stabilize the situation and eliminate terrorist cells, training compounds, etc. and the funny thing is that so much of the mess in Iraq can be blamed on American leniency towards ex-republican guard, baathists, etc