I just heard Alistair Cooke, from the BBC, reading his current "Letter from America".

Mr. Cooke finally spoke about the Iraq War, and here's what he said at the end;

"I've put it to many people, including a famous philosopher and a leading delegate of a major member of the Security Council.

Last March, if you had a choice of agreeing to invade or having the UN approve a three-month round of more inspections, what third alternative would you have had in mind? No answer.

The true, unconfessed alternative was to say - okay, Saddam, you win; go about your missiles and your labs. We'll wait till you try to shatter Israel overnight, acquire a flock of allies and become king of Arabia, and then by golly we'll start to fight you.

That was, in March, the true alternative on everyone's mind that dared not speak its name. "

Here's the full letter to read if you're interested, Why the war couldn't wait.