In response to HIPHOP,
The CIA does not have the ability to take out Saddam's entire regime which is what would be needed. I seriously doubt they have the ability to take out Saddam himself as well.
First though even if it was a possibility, killing Saddam or Saddam and his family would just mean that another person in his regime would take charge. Someone that might be even worse than Saddam as far as making miscaculations and taking risk in regards to Iraq's foreign policy.
Realize that Saddam has spent over 20 years constructing his regime through bribes with his massive wealth, and mass murder, sometimes over a hundred key officials killed in one day. Saddam has created a regime that is tied to him, and one infact that he is tied to as well. Both depend on the other for survival. Saddams regime of course consist of 100,000 very well payed Republican guard troops, many members of the rubber stamp Iraqi government, and even includes believe it or not, members of ethinic groups in opposition to his rule. Saddam has used his power to divide and rule the country in a way, which makes a civilian uprising or CIA coup impossible to ever succeed. Nearly every independent military expert has stated that the "Iraqi resistance would be slaughtered if we tried to do an Afghanistan style operation, with mainly resistence forces on the ground.
The CIA cannot remove 100,000 well payed Republican guard troops that are willing to die for Saddam, just as they did in large numbers in the 1991 Gulf War. Saddam's total Military strength is between 300,000 to 400,000. The Republican guard is the corp with 100,000 troops, the regular army may be worthless, but you will still nead a large conventional military force to unseat Saddam's regime which includes his 100,000 Republican guard troops.
Regarding the CIA's ability, its true that is possible that they can kill individuals, but this won't accomplish the goal of regime change in Iraq. The regime is more than just Saddam. A much weaker regime, the Taliban, would still not be a target that the CIA could change, simply because despite having far less military capability than the Republican guard, it is way to large for the abilities of the CIA. Airpower combined with special forces and the Northern Alliance succeeded in Afghanistan. With Iraq though, only large conventional US military forces will be able to accomplish and guarentee regime change. I could go into far more detail if you want.
The only way that Saddam could be guaranteed to be dead ten times would be a large conventional military invasion to overthrow the regime. Hundreds of people have tried to kill Saddam over the course of his life, even before he became the leader of Iraq. The CIA does not have the ability to kill anyone they want to, although they have been successful in the past. Killing Saddam does not constitute a regime change at all. In fact it could create a worse situation, only if that is one thinks that Saddam has retained some ounce of sanity he rarely uses and would be better than the family member of Republican guard officer that would take his place. Regime change cannot be accomplished in this case by taking out a single individual, which I seriously doubt the CIA has the ability to in this case anyway. If regime change were that easy the history of the 20th century would be a lot different. Only a large military force can accomplish the goal of regime change in Iraq.
In regards to the defense budget, coming from a military family, my own relationship with the military in the past, and friends that are currently serving in the military, I can tell you the military is often underfunded. If you'd like to discuss the defense budget futher in detail, I'd love to. I'd like to know what serviceman's salary you want to cut, what weapon system you want them not to have when they risk their lives in combat for our security, how much exercises and training you want to cut which is also vital to their survival on the battlefield? Again, the military is often underfunded in many of these area's. More needs to be spent on defense, not less. If you feel differently, tell me exactly what you would cut and why?