I just outlined, in
another thread, how Iraq posed a threat to the US.
If I may, I'll re-post an excerpt here:
...this war was necessary to preserve our global security... war was necessary because all diplomatic means had been exhausted.
The UN, through the empty rhetoric of 16 resolutions over the course of 12 years, proved itself unwilling or unable to enforce the will of the international community. It became irrelevant. As a result of this irrelevance, perhaps even in direct response to its proven inability to act, other nations became emboldened, audacious, and belligerent.
The order that exists when strong leaders have the conviction and fortitude to defend free nations from the threat of attack by tyrannical megalomaniacs had been deteriorating rapidly. The order that exists when people have reason to believe that their actions have consequences, that their wrongdoings will not go unnoticed, that their threats, provocations, and attacks will be resisted, was evaporating.
When Saddam Hussein first attacked Kuwait, he was quickly and soundly defeated. The Gulf War sent a very powerful message to others who might have entertained the thought of invading weaker nations to increase their wealth and power. And for many years we lived a relative peace.
But we allowed the internal squabbling of the UN member nations to weaken our resolve. Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright specifically sought the avoidance of conflicts - not their resolution - no matter what the long-term costs. Saddam soon began to realize that without effective leadership among those who might resist him, he could get away with almost anything.
Others came to the same conclusion. 16 resolutions and 12 years and nothing had changed.
On September 11th, 2001, Osama bin Laden and his followers sought to take advantage of our perceived apathy and weakness. That morning we learned that a couple of cave-dwelling half-wits dressed in rags actually believed they could destroy America. Now we stand to witness the escalating belligerence of Kim Jong-Il.
What have we learned from this?
Order can not exist when there is no one around to defend it and tyrants remain in power.
Indeed, a large portion of the threat posed by Iraq was its continued defiance of the US and the UN, and the effect that belligerance had on those who would seek our harm.