Things look very different today because many of the gains that Bush/Cheney made in the region were dismantled by Obama/Biden.
We did not lose the war in either place, we lost the peace. We should have gone home immediately after the invasion and thrown the nation-building nonsense to the UN.
I suspect the decision to invade Iraq was Cheney's doing, and though colored by the neo-conservative 'white man's burden' globalism, it was a reasonable strategic maneuver designed to pressure on the Iranians. At the end of the Bush administration the Mullahs faced the prospect of geographic isolation, external military danger, economic pressure and a building popular revolt.
Say what you will about Cheney, popping that Shiite pimple would have quieted the situation in the Middle East.
But then came Obama.
Excellent analysis !
Here’s the story which can be confirmed through research of reliable sources (which I had but don’t have at hand right now):
Although many signs should have alerted Bush to the dangers of UBL and the coming attack, after the 911 attack Bush started out on the right foot by sending troops into Afghanistan after UBL upon sound intelligence that UBL was in Afghanistan. This is of course exactly what he should have done.
At some point they knew to a high degree of probability where UBL was hiding in the mountains. But Bush but the kibosh on getting UBL who got away and orchestrated bloodshed for almost another decade. Why did Bush say, “No”, to an advance into the mountains and caves where UBL almost certainly was? Bush was and always has been compromised.
In the meantime, what did Bush do? What he does best, takes his eye off the ball (UBL) and decides to avenge his dad and invade Iraq (the WMD thing was a ruse and lie - only a phony excuse in invade Iraq and get Sadaam). The story inside the White House was that Bush was absolutely determined to invade Iraq and now was probably emboldened and warmed up by the justified Afghan invasion.
The story in the WH was that Bush demanded an invasion of Iraq but his advisors said they had to have a reason. Bush basically told them to find one and set a deadline. Iraq was nothing than Bush’s confusing family loyalty with his job as U.S. President. The mob has the same confusion.
While the initial Afghan invasion was just and could have quickly accomplished the UBL mission, the Iraq invasion was absolutely convoluted, unjust, and a disaster.
At first I was for Bush, but I soon came to realize Bush, who greased the skids for his friend Obama, was a disaster. Only Trump brought this B.S. to a screeching halt.