jimmoyer, there's a saying in Shakespeare. "It's an ill wind that blows no man to good".
There's no doubt that Saddam was a cancer.
It may be that in the long run, this Iraq war will have been a first step to a prosperous iraq which is free of fear, despite the true reasons for it.
I confess that by admitting the US hypocrisy, you've taken a lot of the wind out of my sails.
Because it's the self-righteousness that makes me sick. You are right that it does the Iraqi people little good to revisit the self-serving evil that led to the invasion. Problem is, what to do now? Could we get an international group to hold the reconstruction money in escrow until a stable government is in place? How can the dialy terror attackes be stopped? Surely a US pullout would help, but there are probably too many terror groups no longer so concerned with liberating Iraq from US occupation than there were a year ago, because every psycohpathic jihadist is probably recruitng and training there.
UN peacekeeping missions have been notably bad at dealing with terrorism and civil war, especially because the US will hamper them at every step.
Iran next door doesn't make things any safer, especially with Israel saber-rattling. The US should be tried, found guilty of WAr Crimes and forced to pay reparations, but even if this dream-scensrio coul take placve, who could be trusted to administer the funds? Are there any broadly nationalist groups in Iraq? I doubt it.
Do you see any reason for optimism Jimmoyer? I find it hard, myself.