But to my surprise they decided to keep sanctions, as a punishment for Iran.
All three suspect America of wanting to keep sanctions on Mr Hussein, no matter what.
technical assistance" or "consider accepting the country name 'Myanmar.' " The Administration decided to keep sanctions in place but also to open negotiations.
Iraq has also said that the American-led campaign to keep sanctions in place has caused many deaths and excessive deprivation of the Iraqi people.
This brand of criticism, Obama said, was premised on the idea that, if the United States walked away, we'd be "able to keep sanctions in place with the same vigor and effectiveness as we have right now.
Others, though, see war as an opportunity for deeper domestic reform.With the latest ceasefire barely holding, the EU must keep sanctions going and prepare tougher ones against Russia.
Although Washington stood by the South, a crucial Asian ally, in the standoff over the ship sinking, and vowed to keep sanctions on the North, it is also looking for ways to bring North Korea back to the talks, a central part of its global nonproliferation efforts.
(There is a historical parallel in this: In the months leading up to the fighting in the gulf in 1991, the general was the most eager of the national security team to keep sanctions as the main pressure on Mr. Hussein, and one of the most reluctant to go to war to push Iraq's troops out of Kuwait).
Instead of an arrangement that would leave Iran with an active civilian nuclear capability and what he viewed as an unacceptably short leap to a weapon, Mr Netanyahu advocated for the status quo - keep sanctions on Iran until it started acting like a "normal country".
She'd tighten the screws on Assad, push Europe to keep sanctions in place, and would strengthen NATO.
