Why did we wait until 2003 to 'get Saddam,' if he ged the Kurds in the '80s?

Seeing as how we gave him the weaponry to carry out his evil deed, it wouldn't look good to go after him right away. Also, there was this little thing called the Cold War and we were kinda busy playing a high stakes chess game with Russia. But you know, Saddam did attack us on 9/11 (oh, he didn't?) so that's why we had to make him pay.