The removal of Saddam Hussein has become a major objective of the United States, even though there is no clear evidence that Iraq has been linked to al-Qaeda.
The ruling Ba�ath party, although militantly anti-American, is secular. However, President Bush�s strategic aims now include the containment and potentially the removal of governments which might constitute a future threat.
With Iran and North Korean, Iraq was named by Mr Bush as one of the states in an �axis of evil� and potential sources of weapons of mass destruction to worldwide terrorist groups.
