James S. Robbins points out a few similarities between 2002 and 1990: The Song Remains the Same.

Haven’t we been here before? President George Bush facing off with Saddam Hussein, public support for war divided, allies diffident, Arabs recalcitrant, talk of thousands of casualties and use of weapons of mass destruction — one has a creeping sense of d�j� vu. The same points are being made today as 1990, frequently by the same people. It was not self-evident in late August 1990 that the United States would go to war with Iraq, despite the ongoing military buildup under Operation Desert Shield. There were many alternatives to armed conflict, and the debate over the proper course was intense. Then, as now, people designed their arguments according to their predispositions. However, now the results of the prior arguments are known, the predictions sorted out. We know who was right and who was wrong. So why the same old tunes?