President Bush, during his State of the Union address Tuesday, hinted that more convincing evidence about Iraq’s threat to the United States would be presented to the United Nations next week. Here’s hoping that the administration has something convincing that can sway our allies and our citizens before any action against Iraq begins.

As it stands, there are too many question marks, leaving many Americans unconvinced that action against Iraq is necessary. Launching a war under such circumstances is risky. Support of the nation and its allies would provide the legitimacy needed for such a drastic step.

Even most of the opponents of war probably believe Saddam Hussein has chemical and biological weapons at his disposal. There has never been a convincing reason to believe he would have abandoned his weapons-of-mass-destruction programs. But other countries may also have these kinds of weapons. To attack Iraq, there must be evidence that links Saddam to terrorism, showing that his programs are likely to be a threat to America or other nations.

Tribune editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s management and editorial staff.