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Why Iraq and not Saudi Arabia, Cuba, North Korea, Canada, Iran, or Detroit?
I think there are two reasons.
1) We believed there was a high probability that the interests of Saddam intersected with those of the millitant Islamic terrorists who have demonstrated the intent and ability to do harm to our people. We believed it in our national security interest to preempt Saddam's ability to deliver horrible and powerful weapons to these people, increasing their ability to commit acts of violence against us.
2) Perhaps the unstated, but more important reason. Having demonstrated our resolve regarding Iraq, I believe it is the fervent hope of this nation that we will not have to demonstrate it again. Perhaps the formerly isolated dictators in other regions of the world will recognize the necessity of policing their own nations, severing their ties with millitant terrorist organizations, and disarming themselves in accordance with UN resolutions. When we say that our diplomatic intent has teeth, they will know that it is so.
Perhaps the best justification for taking up arms against Iraq will be it's potency in obviating the need for armed conflict in a dozen other places across the world.
-sm
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