The Bush administration has been publicly discussing ousting Saddam Hussein since Sept. 11 of last year. Citing “We owe it to our children and grandchildren,” President Bush continues to reaffirm his decision to prevent Hussein from developing weapons of mass destruction.

On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney called for a “liberated Iraq” in a speech to Veterans of Foreign Wars. This comes only a few days after Bush’s announcement in Crawford that he was “patient” enough to wait until further consultation with Congress and U.S. allies. Bush does not need congressional approval to attack Iraq due to the War Powers act and an anti-terrorism resolution passed after Sept. 11.

And as for U.S. allies, virtually all of Europe is opposed to a military action against Saddam Hussein. Basically, the reasons for Bush’s patience appears to be yet another tactic to keep this issue in the public front, or perhaps sway the public’s attention from U.S.’s failure to find bin Laden.

Without a doubt, the issue will remain a hot topic in the political arena, but what will Bush say tomorrow?

Americans are reacting to this game. Anti-war protesters greeted Mr. Bush on his recent trips and at his Crawford ranch. Public support for military action against Iraq decreased from 74 percent in November 2001 to 53 percent recently, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll.

It is a shocker that Iraq should react as well. Is it possible that the administration’s ousting plan, discussed in so many White House briefings, and media for almost a year, should escape Mr. Hussein? U.S. government officials and experts claim that Iraq is already preparing its military to protect itself from the United States.

Although Iraq’s current army consists of 350,000 soldiers, one-third its size at the start of the Persian Gulf War, and virtually no navy, Bush’s broadcasting of its “regime change” plan has given Hussein ample time to take up different strategies including the use of urban warfare.