All right, let me see if I understand the logic of this correctly. We are going to ignore the UN in order to make clear to Saddam Hussein that the UN cannot be ignored. We're going to wage war to preserve the UN's ability to avert war. The paramount principle is that the UN's word must be taken seriously, and if we have to subvert its word to guarantee that it is, then by gum, we will. Peace is too important not to take up arms to defend. Am I getting this right?

Peter Freundlich on npr