How is this for an alternative universe sequence of events in Iraq?

[pampango]

In October 2002 the Senate defeats the Iraq War Resolution. For reasons known only to me (it's my universe, OK, and I'll admit that it may be the most far-fetched part of my scenario) Bush decides to abide by the Senate's decision and not launch a war that would have been even more illegal than the one that he did undertake.

Saddam remains in power, perhaps with a little enhanced prestige by having stared down the bellicose Bush. The sanctions come to an end soon after this. International awareness was building of the suffering of the Iraqi people under sanctions and they were just making Saddam rich anyway. The Iraqi economy improves when sanctions disappear and gets better still when the price of oil increases with the declining supply world-wide.

He restocks a little poison gas quietly but doesn't use it so it ceases to be much of an issue. He is still a nasty guy to have as a leader, but is he worse than neighboring dictators like Mubarak or Assad? The only thing that separated him from other regional dictators was his propensity to invade neighbors, which Egypt and Syria have not done lately. In my new universe I am going to declare that he decided not to invade Saudi Arabia or to try Kuwait or Iran again, because he learned that it is too easy to lose such wars. Better to stay home, make some speeches and enjoy your money and palaces.

In 2005 the US decided to discontinue the no-fly zone over southern Iraq as a pointless exercise. Protecting Shiites from an altitude of 10,000 feet indefinitely was impossible and besides we have abandoned them before, so nothing new here. The no-fly zone in the north was preserved, however, as the Kurds had enough friends in Washington, had an open society and Saddam had a history of going after Kurds. Their society continued to flourish through 2007 and Turkey was not threatened, since there was no likelihood of Kurdish independence.

So it's 2007. Saddam is getting older and he is still not the type of person I would voluntarily seek out as a great leader of a country, but he is effectively contained in terms of his influence outside of Iraq. Inside Iraq things appear to be as peaceful as ever, though most of us don't know (and probably don't want to know) how his regime goes about enforcing this peace.

Other than my decision to have Bush respect the will of the Senate and follow the law (a big reach I know), does my alternative universe seem to be reasonably plausible? How could it be realistic?

[againes654]

1. Very much so, yes

It could be reality if Dennis K gets elected.

[liberal renegade]

2. It's all Florida's fault

with a little help from Katherine and Jeb..... Don't ever forget that.

Had those 3 not existed, your alternative universe would be a reality....

[superkia]

3. Congress gave him a loaded gun and more ammo when he asked.

If congress didn't play politics with peoples lives, your scenario could have taken place. This is why I don't trust any of our candidates other than Kucinich and maybe Obama in the white house. Who is to say they wont once again play the political game they have been playing in our future on important issues like the constitution? Scary that we continue to support the people that gave a crazy man a loaded gun and kept giving him ammo to kill more people? Turn off your televisions America, before you get us all killed!