From ABC News:

U.S. officials fear that once President Bush signals the U.S. is headed to war, Saddam Hussein will strike pre-emptively, administration sources told ABCNEWS.

But if the United States takes action to stop an Iraqi first strike, especially if they try to seize and protect the oil fields, U.S. officials admit they may end up starting the war itself....

Specific new evidence indicates that Iraqi activity in the Western desert shows the strong likelihood Scud missiles are hidden there...

Detailed new intelligence from the southern Iraqi oil fields shows that many of the 700 wells have now been wired with explosives....

Near the border with Kuwait, where 135,000 U.S. troops are now stationed, recent surveillance indicates Iraqi artillery batteries have been moved dangerously close....

The United States is now considering moving against all three of these targets before any war begins in an effort to prevent Saddam from acting first, sources told ABCNEWS.

So we may attack preemptively to stop Saddam from attacking preemptively in response to our decision to go to war preemptively.

This is becoming rather Strangelovian.

Oh, and we're afraid if we attack preemptively, we may start the war early. Excuse me: may? If we attack, isn't that, essentially, the start of the war?