The US military is not an international police force and it doesn’t exist to be at the forefront of any nation building effort.
Actually that’s what it’s been for a large part of our history. It;s not for nothing that the USMC for most of it’s history was known as the State Deptments police force.
Outside of the great effort and victory in the Gulf War, and in sevarl smaller military involvements like Grenada and Panama, the US military hasn’t won a war since WWII. Korea was a draw and Vietnam was a huge historic setback for America.
WE can’t afford to lose in Iraq. Period.