In the case of Iran I am obviously NOT talking about the islamist takeover of the country. What I was referring to was Iran before the islamist takeover. Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty which was striving to achieve secularism and democratic rule of law until the damnable machination of that wicked scumbag carter. Yes, foreign meddling have made a muck up of ME, but like it or not, foreign powers will ALWAYS remain entrenched in ME politics -- if not western powers, eastern powers, Russia and China.
My point is that the muddle we are in is not a natural phenomena, but there has been geo-political status quo designs in play. George W. after 9/11 realized VERY ASTUTELY and correctly that the western status quo -- I can give you my reasons for what and why the seemingly counter-productive status quo that the west had pursued until 9/11, but it's long -- was unproductive and even dangerous for the west and it had to change. ME could NOT remain islamist, fundamentalist, authoritarian, undemocratic dominated any longer, and he set about trying to end it -- his mistake perhaps was that he was too honest and overt about his plans and his enemies, both domestic, and international (yes, Europe included) who saw their interests, and their lucrative links with the despotic regimes endangered, revolted against him and his doctrine and killed it.
So, you see, GW had his heart in the right place -- he wanted to change the western status quo in ME to protect his country and in the process save ME, but he was defeated and that is a tragedy both the populations here AND are paying a price for.
Yes, I do see your point as far as what GW had in mind when we went in but we failed. Other then for a few officers fresh out of OCS you will find little if any desire by the armed forces of the United States to ever try this again. We have shot our bolt on this subject and missed. I can’t think of a single member of the groud force I knew in Iraq who was any longer in favor intervention in the middle-east. If Europe or Russia or and I find this much more liklly China want to try their hand at the great game of the middle east, let them. Americans will not go in for armed intervention for a generation or more. Especially if its the middle east. We will find ourselves fighting it out in old mexico before the electorate goes for another mideast adventure.
And yes GW had his heart in the right place, so did I and an entire generation of Americans in the last decade. We got burned, and yes I do agree the apponents at home and abroad took shamless advantage of both GW and the rest of us to advance their own goals.
So for all those who still want to fix the middle east and find peace, love and understanding, as long as its on your buck and with your life I wish you luck.