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Highly Recommended: Michele Catalano: The March to War and Back

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FFL (GOP Delenda Est)3/19/2013 3:19:53 pm PDT

re: #12 Targetpractice

Thing is, in retrospect, he had every reason to do so. Guy’s regime relied in large part on the assumption that he had the power to back up his threats. Thumbing his nose at the international community and stymieing inspectors was a large part of that.

And playing up nationalism and “us against the world” is part of the dictator’s playbook. Combined with needing to show that you are still in charge and beyond control of outside forces. So you avoid, delay, and sabre rattle — essentially bluffing since taking you out is more than most countries (or the international community) would be willing to *rationally* pay.

North Korea seems to be better at this game than Saddam was.