"Our goal is peace -- for our nation, for our friends and allies, for the people of the Middle East"

(President Bush, March 6, 2003) One of many occasions where your President swore to the American public that he was committed to avoiding war if Iraq would simply cooperate with weapons inspectors: NYT:

During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second [UN] resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons...."The start date for the military campaign was now penciled in for 10 March," Mr. Manning wrote, paraphrasing the president. "This was when the bombing would begin."