"It seems harder and harder to justify Iraq when NK and Iran are about to go nuclear and minute.
...Kim Jong Il and the mullahs can see that with 150,000 troops in Iraq we are prevented from dealing with either of them. ...
We have to ask ourselves was deposing Saddam worth letting Iran and NK go nuclear?"
Where do you think our bases will be if we needed them for confronting Iran if they tried anything funny? Iraq. Not stupid at all.
Check out a map. We have Iran surrounded since we are in Afghanistan (Iran's East) and Iraq (Iran's West). If we blockaded with our navy the Caspian sea above and the sea below, Iran would be isolated.
Iran isn't nuclear yet. With NK, we've got 6 way talks with all their surrounding countries.
"when NK and Iran are about to go nuclear and minute."
NK is all bluster. Iran best do some heavy duty reconsideration before going nuke weapons.
While I'd love to see a carrier group in the Caspian sea, I'd don't think we're that good. :-P