“The Bush administration’s feel good definition of our war aim in Iraq — to bring freedom and democracy to our Arab brothers — was embarrassing naive. The less said about all that “religion of peace” blather the better.”
Yeah that will never happen. You will never see an Nation in the heart of the Arab World actually adopt a constitution and Democratically Elected, Civilian led Government with rights and liberties.
Oh wait...
Elections and constitutions are nice, but they won't do anything to resolve the age old competition between Islam and the (now largely) post-Christian West. The idea that we can make enemies into friends by giving them some shiny new democratic toys to play with was always nonsense, and nothing in current events makes it seem remotely plausible.
Iraq will do our bidding as long as we hold the balance of military power there. With the possible exception of the much abused Kurds, we have no Iraqi friends, only allies of convenience. That hasn't changed and it won't change.
Our military power is very useful, but there are limits on what it can accomplish. It's great for scaring the bejeezus out of people. It can't make enemies morph into friends. George W. Bush never could face this painful truth.