Great link, Norm--some very important but very basic considerations there. It's bewildering that CNN-MSNBC-Fox etc has not allowed these considerations to be put together in complete coherent fashion on air, at least as far as I have heard. As for the interpretation of the Usama-Iraq link, it seems to assume that an exchange like the following occurred:

Saddam: We're fooling the inspectors, we have the VX, Anthrax, and Mustard Gas hidden in old ladies handbags across the country.

Usama: Ehhhxcellent. Fed-ex me a few cases so I can check it out. The rest I'll pick up on my layover in Baghdad on the way to an appointment in Washington, DC.

Saddam: Okay. But there is one thing--I think the Americans might be bombing me in a couple of weeks.

Usama: That makes me very sad--in the first place I hate any war that takes place, anywhere, and I especially hate it when the West is pitted against Arab populations. It breaks my heart. But also, I have grown so fond of you since 9/11, and I take back all that socialist-infidel-scum stuff I said about you.

Saddam: Well, I'm toast, what can I say. But you can do one thing for me before I'm gone.

Usama: Anything.

Saddam: I'm trying to get the world to beleive that we hate each other, but I want you to send out a tape to Al jazeera expressing your soldiarity with Iraq. It makes no sense for me to ask this of you given my claims about our relationship, but then again, I'm crazy.