Prior to all the UN legal/not legal war nonsense, wasn't Iraq in violation of the cease-fire agreement made during the Gulf War?
Weren't our aircraft engaged by their ground-to-air defenses repeatedly?
After 9/11, the political will existed to address some problems in the world which probably should have been addressed 22 years earlier.
Saddam was on the short list.
Politicians do what politicians do.
If Bill Clinton had taken similar action for similar reasons during his tenure, the media would still be extolling him as the greatest CIC ever.
I'll pass on the kool-aid.