In a way, WWII was an object lesson for going after Iraq. How many times have you heard it said that Hitler could have been stopped for the price of a bullet, had nations acted earlier?
Plus, there was one other, critical factor in play in Iraq - the ghosts of Mogadishu and the cowardice of the Clinton Administration. Our enemies believed after Mogadishu that the United States would turn tail in the face of any casualties - and that belief was bolstered by Clinton's unwillingness in Kosovo to commit ground troops and having Americans coming home in body bags, lest support for his little adventure dissipate. However, Kosovo was also not in our national interest - whereas the Middle East clearly is - so Americans have been willing to suffer casualities and still support the war there.
Well said.