Is Bombing Iraq "Inevitable"?

[Carl Remick]

I find it curious that our latest near-war experience with Iraq has
proceeded without any commentary at all on this list (unless I missed
some posts).  Is everyone here just bored with the topic?  I for one
find it disturbing that massive military action at *some* point is taken
as a given.  E.g., the following headline and lead are from today's NY
Times:
Allies See Iraq Bombing as Inevitable 
The United States, its allies and past defenders of Iraq said Monday
that they did not expect President Saddam Hussein to cooperate with U.N.
weapons inspectors, and that if he broke his promise it would set off a
military response without a Security Council debate.  [end of excerpt]
The only obvious alternatives -- assassination or continued economic
strictures that punish Iraqis in general without inconveniencing the
elite -- aren't anything to cheer about, either, but don't mean
wholesale slaughter.
I would be very interested in hearing if people here could suggest other
alternatives for dealing with Iraq.
Carl Remick