I've been thinking about the Iraq/al-Qaeda connection. I don't think there is much of a connection now, but I worry a connection developing in the near future. With that future connection I worry about Saddam providing unconventional weapons to al-Qaeda. Saddam is unlikely to use them since he is a clear target for retaliation. Yet if some free-lance al-Qaeda cells got them, they would have no compunction at using them. But Saddam seems to have a more well-developed relationship with the Palestinians at this time than al-Qaeda. So why haven't Palestinians been provided with unconventional weapons? Wouldn't they be a more effective delivery system than Scuds? Human vector chemical attacks have been attempted before as with the Aum Shinrikyo. Granted they weren't terribly effective but given the number of attacks Palestinians could have conducted it would be reasonable to expect effectiveness to improve. Is there a deterrent in effect for Saddam in this? Or has he just not thought of it?

The potential for a Saddam/al-Qaeda connection in the future was leading me to move toward war. But this second scenario leads me away. Whatever is deterring Saddam from supplying Palestinian terrorists would most likely deter him from supplying al-Qaeda. As long as the Palestinians don't use unconventional weapons, I don't see the war as necessary.