WAS SADDAM TRYING TO GET WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? Why, yes, yes he was:

The officials now say they believe that those negotiations — mostly conducted in neighboring Syria, apparently with the knowledge of the Syrian government — were not merely to buy a few North Korean missiles.

Instead, the goal was to obtain a full production line to manufacture, under an Iraqi flag, the North Korean missile system, which would be capable of hitting American allies and bases around the region, according to the Bush administration officials.

Was this an “imminent” threat? Or was it a threat we stopped before it became imminent? Who cares?

UPDATE: Reader James Davila notes that the North Koreans basically wound up ripping off Saddam, and points to this Den Beste post from June. Advantage: Den Beste!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Brendon Carr wonders if this means that Kim Jong-Il really is an evil genius after all. Hmm.