It's no surprise that Iraq should have come up at Mr. Bush's first national security meetings -- after all, the United States was patrolling the skies above Iraq to enforce "no-fly" zones. Nor is it surprising that the Bush team should have contemplated regime change: That was the declared policy of the United States, supported by the Clinton administration and Congress.

Thanks to the Post for taking a moment to review for the benefit of Paul O'Neill and some of the Democratic candidates what was already plainly obvious to anyone actually paying attention to the matters in question.

Perhaps O'Neill was too busy doing crossword puzzles to listen attentively during those NSC meetings, but he could at least bother to read the newspaper once in a while. The Post is only 35 cents on weekdays.

Mr. O'Neill and Iraq