We debated whether to seek regime change in Baghdad, but Bush and all his advisers agreed that objective was beyond the scope of the authorizing UN resolutions and the expectations of our coalition partners. We also were convinced that trying to effect regime change would likely require us to occupy much of Iraq without any assurance we could capture Saddam, who, we thought, likely would lead an insurgent resistance. There would be no mission creep, no nation-building under Bush 41. We would accomplish our specific objectives and then come home.
