I think you and I both know that this would be (will be) a bull-crap argument.
Saddam was (probably) involved in the 1993 WTC bombing, (most likely) provided training for the 2001 WTC attacks, and wasn't building WMD's for another losing Conventional War against Iran... but rather for Asymmetrical Terrorist and Proliferation Warfare against the USA.
I've read both the "Pro-War" and "Anti-War" sources, and have come to the conclusion that the above (bolded paragraph) is probably closest to the Truth. Or, at least, close enough for Government Work.
I do, still, wish we had attempted Assassination and Regime Destablization first -- prior to outright War (as I said before: "Go Ehud [see Judges 3]! That great, Biblical example of Ethically-Christian, no-collateral-damage, Assassination.")
The problem right now is HUGE. They have stopped the war on terror in order to rebuild Iraq. Perhaps Iraq should eventually be rebuilt, but only after all the terrorist host nations are gone. They are not. We MUST: 1. Conquer Syria. Period...there is no other answer. 2. Conquer Iran. Their nuclear program and their harboring of terrorists for years (they are actually the MAJOR terrorist nation....not Iraq) makes them a necessary conquest. 3. Overthrow Saudi. 4. Defeat Musharraff's enemies in Pakistan in detail, and then turn against any mountain taliban/al qaeda. 5. Fully support Putin in the muslim provinces of the former soviet -- Chechnya, Khazastan, etc. 6. Same #4 in Philippines and Indonesia.
Your program for a "World War II style Victory" will require at least $500 Billion which has already been earmarked by Bush for the Kennedy Education Bill, Farm Subsidies, and Rebuilding Iraq.
The Money is there (we're already running a $500 Billion dollar deficit, anyway), if you can pry it from the Pork-Barrels into which it is already sunk.
I doubt this will happen.
I continue to think another option might work, also -- Get Out. Spend a few Tens of Billions developing the Canadian Oil Sands (more Oil than Saudi Arabia) and tell the Middle East: "We don't want, or need, you anymore. 'Great Satan'? Hardly -- We're now the 'Great Irrelevance' on the other side of the World, with no interest in you whatsoever. Why don't you get back to killing eachother again, and knock on our door in another 1,000 years when you've decided which one of y'all are the 'True Muslims'?"
However, this won't happen, either.
My own expectation is that political inertia will reign, and we will build a few basis in Iraq, support a local "Puppet Government" as riddled with Anti-Americanists as that of our "friends" the Saudis, and remain neck-deep in a snake-pit which costs us far more Blood and Treasure than it delivers to us in Oil.
Sorry, but that's how I see it.
Oh, admittedly, there is the possibility that Iraq might develop into the "Lady Liberty of the Middle East".
I rate this about as likely as the 65% Shi'ite Population of Iraq voluntarily giving up their tradition of beating their own heads with swords.
I think your evaluation is a good one. I do disagree with it at one point, though. I do not believe the history and tradition of Islam indicate that they will cease and desist in fomenting terror against the US simply because we pull out and stop using their oil.
There is no nation of any other culture that borders an islamic nation that is not at war with them. Since we are the world's economic behemoth we will of necessity be involved in the economies of all those attacked nations, and we will not be able to ignore it.
They truly are bent on world conquest, and our withdrawal will only embolden them.
Fight the war now. Get it over with. Militarily we are more than capable SO LONG AS we don't try to occupy territory and instead restrict ourselves to overthrowing governments.