Hundreds of billions invested, thousands of lives cost.
Key strategic terrain between Iran and Syria.
Critical to the GWOT where it serves as a $hit magnet.
At this point near stabilized, with casualties low.
Vital to our nation and the greater Western hemisphere because of its oil reserves.
Long term more promising to have a positive outcome than Afghanistan because in Iraq they do have something that can sustain an economy, oil. They did have some existing infrastructure, they did have a real functional bureaucracy and they are more world open and educated on average than in Afghanistan.
The consequences of failure include 26 million Iraqi’s that get thrown under the bus.
Iran gaining power in the region by spreading into Iraq’s south.
Shaken trust in that the US has the willpower to see anything through and a reluctance for commitment in the future. With this you’ll also see other middle eastern nations like Qatar, UAE, etc be more “accommodating” to Iran because they see them as the regional power house and our decline in influence.
But........ it sounded good during the elections.
Iran needs to be “surrounded” until it “gets religion”.