the reason for going in to Iraq originally was not as a nation-building exercise, it was to remove a terorist-training and coddling regime that was demonstrating the impotence of the West against jihad. The purpose was to remove a threat to America that was a matter of when, not if.
We have completed that mission and now are in the process of rebuilding the country into something that will not become another threat in ten years.
Things that are worthwhile often take sacrifice and time to accomplish.
And you can't call someone "delusional" and qualify it "with all due respect". It is one or the other. And Jeff is the one who is realistic regarding Iraq.
Also, if you happen to look at a map of the Mideast with all its turmoil and said "where is the best geographic place to have troops?", you would point to Iraq.