The reasons for going into Iraq were to get the weapons of mass destruction, and to stop Saddam from committing genocide. Even the Democrats signed onto it. We got Saddam, and we destroyed weapons stockpiles. We even got the side benefit of Libya surrendering, and turning over nuclear materials. Mission accomplished.
The reason for going into Afghanistan was to get the Taliban training camps, capture Osama, and get the radicals who trained the Saudis responsible for 911. Mission accomplished, more or less.
Occupying Islamic countries to install Democracy and democratic governments, with the hope of creating Western values, liberty and goodwill towards America was/is a mistake of moronic proportions. Western values and liberty that developed in the West didn’t happen overnight, and they didn’t happen in an Islamic vacuum. Democracy gives back what is put into it, and Islam is a poor medium for good expectations and results. What is presently happening in Iraq was entirely predictable from the day we marched into Baghdad, and the same will happen in Afghanistan when we are finally gone.
In my opinion, we should have bombed our way to justice, nuked Mecca, left every training camp and supportive country in piles of rubble, and decimated the heart of Islam, with promises that any further hostilities from Islam will be met with overwhelming destructive force. ...But that would have hurt Islamic feelings, and we would much rather strip search old Irish ladies in our airports. Whatever it takes to be PC.
RE: We got Saddam, and we destroyed weapons stockpiles.
When Bush spoke about WMD’s, people had in mind Nukes, Chemical Weapons and Biological weapons.
Did we find any?