We were played like a fiddle.
The only I’d go back in and spend one more drop of blood or trillions more in American treasure we don’t have, is if we seized the country and all of it’s oil etc. We own it. Give the Iraqis just enough to survive, that’s it.
Otherwise, no way, they can fight their own GD internal battles.
Expanding on that, any town we capture—up goes Ol Glory! And their ‘family’ AKs go into a bonfire in the middle of town. No rules of engagement, one rule: kill the enemy.
No more ‘nation building.’ That was neo-con BS.
As a postscript, remember that multi-million dollar embassy we built in Baghdad a few years ago? Money down the old rat-hole.
How would that be any different from what the Soviets did?
How do you think that wouldn't build hostility to the point where it would push countries into the arms of the Chinese and the Russians?
I think your ultimate point is that you don't want us back in, right?