After listening Wednesday to remarks made by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, it's still tough to figure out how credible he truly is.

In an interview with CBS anchor Dan Rather that was broadcast on "60 Minutes II," Saddam matter-of-factly said his country does not have any relationship with Osama bin Laden or the al-Qaeda terrorist group.

That may be true. However, this is the same man who, about a decade ago, ransacked a neighboring country.

How credible can those statements be when they come from a man who has instilled fear in his neighbors and his own people?

Make no mistake, Saddam realizes time is running short and patience is growing thinner each day with the United Nations Security Council.

"On films we see that the Americans are courageous. When challenged to a duel, they will not back down," he said.

The comparison to the American way of life and its films is far from accurate. You'll rarely see a modern-day John Wayne going off into the sunset with the girl. In our culture, you're more apt to see a blue-collar guy working overtime so he can put food on the table and possibly send his children to college.

However, there's some truth to Saddam's point about this country not backing down from a challenge. But that should not be the reason for America to invade Iraq.

It's up to Saddam if he wants his country liberated from the terror and strife he's caused throughout the years. If he continues to defy the U.N., America and its allies will be more than happy to help begin the transformation of Iraq from a struggling nation ruled by a dictator, to a democracy on the road to economic prosperity.