2002 SOTU, when President Bush proclaimed North Korea, Iran, Iraq and like states “an Axis of Evil,” contained this promise:
I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.
Arguably, invading Iraq forestalled that state from becoming a nuclear state–although it now appears they were either much further behind that was proclaimed, the bombing missions under Desert Fox were much more effective than realized, or they are the facilities were hidden phenomenally well. But, in the meantime, North Korea has gotten nuclear weapons and Iran either has them or is on the verge.
