As for questionable countries like China and North Korea, diplomatic solutions are underway to control their nuclear weapons programs. In Iraq's case, diplomatic avenues are a dead end.

Ultimately, I think you're right about this - assuming everything we've been told through the media and other sources is true about Saddam. I certainly hope we continue to pursue things diplomatically with N. Korea and China, because I'd be much more concerned about a war with them than I would be about a war with Iraq at this point.

We... have used nuclear weapons twice, when it was the last option.

I think there are a lot of people out there that would disagree with the "last option" part of that statement - including the fair majority of the scientists actually involved in the development of the atomic bomb.

- trs