“Letting the Shias take over was a Paul Bremer/ George W Bush decision.”
Every conservative was signing the “let freedom riiiiing” tune back then. Questioning nation building was a pure heresy, especially in FR. Bush could not be questioned. Only MoveOn questioned Bush. No need to blame Bush for this. His country supported his actions.
The zeitgeist is way more powerful than people think. That’s why we need to hold fast to principals and eschew ANYONE who dismisses them. I made that mistake with Bush. I didn’t vote for him in the primary, but I did in the general, defended him, and was rewarded with Obama. Not doing it this time.