[Cowperson]

but the fact that Saddam couldn't turn the billions of dollars he skimmed into WMDs, or even a credible army, certainly backs up that argument.

Yet he could certainly turn billions of ill-gotten gains into fine French and German workmanship in something like 11 new palatial palaces dedicated to himself, all while his own people starved and, the favourite argument of the left, hundreds of thousands of children perished through lack of medical supplies.

The fact he chose to dedicate those monies in one way and perhaps not another shouldn't obviate the obvious . . . . that he could have done pretty much anything he wanted if he'd had the will, something he had demonstrated in the past he didn't lack.

We certainly saw that Pakistan's chief nuclear scientist was doling out bomb-making know-how to fellow Muslims like they were party favours, all without the evident knowledge of western watchers.

The behaviour of Saddam remains one of the great mysteries leading into this conflict and it should be obvious to any observor that he might still be in power today had he co-operated fully with UN weapons inspectors at an earlier date.

He bluffed right to the very end.

Cowperson