Er..... Saddam had ties with al Qaida, tis true. His children were actively seeking out connections there. Dunno if that was for the upcoming regime change (potential loss of Dad by 'accident') or just to strengthen their connections in the area. That much, though, is true. And, he was a bad guy, but for a while he was our bad guy. When he stopped being controllable, he had to go.

As to helping the iraqi people. I've been reading reports in the foreign press about the benefits to the people, and mostly they're good. Areas that were heavily pro-Saddam are suffering, but that's pent-up resentment from the rest of the country. Most everyone is happier now that things are moving towards a new system. What the west isn't quite prepared to accept, though, is that the new system will be a constitutional theocracy like in Iran.... Oops.....

Open the window first, if you must kill your radio - no point in breaking glass and ending up freezing.