You answered you own question pretty well. Yes we allowed these corrupt regimes to flourish in the past. Yes we looked the other way and did nothing. Because of that, we are partially to blame for 911. They attacked and succeeded because they thought that they could get away with it based on recent history of the US looking the other way. This is really not about Iraq except as an example to those regimes that we will no longer look the other way. These despots must once and for all get the message that the United States is bigger threat to their power than any internal extremist groups. Iraq has given us ample reason to make it the "example" to the rest. This is not a game this is actually a chance to win the WOT to the extent of stopping state sponsorship of terrorism.