[Jim W N]

Not the point. The point is, why did we dissipate into some non-terrorist area like Iraq instead of focusing on getting Osama bin Ladin and going after the real terrorist hot beds. We had some troops in Afghanistan but we could have had a lot more focus and effectivity without this convoluted Iraq thing. IMHO.

[grey_whiskers]

The point is, why did we dissipate into some non-terrorist area like Iraq instead of focusing on getting Osama bin Ladin and going after the real terrorist hot beds.

Because it would've made a dandy stepping-off point for going after Iran, if only Rove hadn't been such a P*ssy about defending Bush.

Cheers!

[cookcounty]

"Not the point. The point is, why did we dissipate into some non-terrorist area like Iraq instead of focusing on getting Osama bin Ladin and going after the real terrorist hot beds. ..."

Because it wasn't about revenge. It was about suppressing terrorists and their enablers, especially enablers with WMD.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Not the point. The point is, why did we dissipate into some non-terrorist area like Iraq instead of focusing on getting Osama bin Ladin and going after the real terrorist hot beds. We had some troops in Afghanistan but we could have had a lot more focus and effectivity without this convoluted Iraq thing. IMHO.

Because the "real terrorist hot bed" is Iran, and we had even less legal justification, and would have had even less support both at home and abroad, for going there.

As for Afghanistan, what more could we have done without invading Pakistan?