Hm! I would say that the case was made that Saddam and all his activities puit our Republic in danger. I think Twain would have also. And, remember, Twain did support liberating Cuba from an oppressive government--even though the United States was not in any immediate danger. Of course, he did not support the move to the Philippines. I hope I understood the drift of your post here. Twain's views can be debated on the issue of Pariotism and war. He was surely in favor of helping the oppressed--in any part of the world. Jason