Resolution 14-41 was voted into affect unanimously by the U. security counsel for the immediate and complete disarming of Iraq. This was not a means of dragging this situation out so Iraq can kick the can further down the road. Our government has information from Iraqi defectors that Saddam has mobile biological laboratories on trucks. Just because U.N. inspectors can't find anything doesn't mean it's not there, it means he's hiding it well. Just as in Desert Storm he hid his weapons stockpiles underneath churches, hospitals and schools. Hussein is not a humane person. He tortures & kills his own people without remorse. If he suspects anyone in his cabinet opposes him he has them assassinated. You are obviously a very humane person, worrying about the innocent people in far off lands is a testament to this. And that is EXACTLY what Hussein is using against you. He uses your own sense of humanity and guilt felt by the loss of innocent life against you.
Hussein has a history of lying and tap-dancing around policies. He's been doing it for 12 years. What makes you think he will change now? You say that you have lived in this region of the world and have strong feelings about it. Perhaps in this case this is your downfall in decision-making. No rational, common sense decisions should be made based on feelings or emotion. Emotions cloud and distort the logical decision making process, and if you are to fully accept the REAL threat that Saddam Hussein and his weapons pose to us you are going to have to take a step back and remove your emotions from the situation.
As far as the loss of innocent life is concerned, nobody wants to see it. And obviously with our high tech weaponry (laser guided bombs that fall through skylights and cruise missiles that can fly into windows) we will obviously take every possible measure to restrict the loss of non-military personnel.
During operation Desert Storm approximately 3,000 innocent Iraqi lives were lost due to American AND Iraqi fire.