My first impulse was the same as yours.
But for me the counterbalancing notion is that we shouldn't have to be risking the lives of our guys in this kind of situation right now. My opinion is that one of "our" lives is worth a thousand of "theirs".
They should have simply bombed Iraq into submission, without regard for "world" opinion" at the minimum risk possible to US troops. And frankly, I don't really care about the civilian casualties.
The civilians there know what they have to do if the situation gets too painful. Its up to them to rise up and do it.
Freedom isn't free, and it isn't delivered to your doorstep by foreign emissaries.