When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, little did I realize that Saddam Hussein would dictate the next 10 years of my life,

We have defeated Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The good news is Iraq is ours, and the bad news is Iraq is ours.

Planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were wholly inadequate.

Some peaceniks clear their throats by saying that, of course, they oppose Saddam Hussein as much as anybody, though not enough to support doing anything about him.

We are not saying that the government of Iraq is some wonderful government. We are not saying Saddam Hussein is some saint. What we are saying is there is a better way to achieve peace in the Middle East -- through diplomacy, through negotiation and a focus on nonviolent means of resolving this crisis.

Saddam Hussein could have provided irreplaceable help to future historians of the Iran/Iraq war, of the invasion of Kuwait, and of the subsequent era of sanctions culminating in the current invasion.