Afghanistan is a hellhole. Iraq was the most powerful nation-state in the Arab World. It will return to that status, but it will be run by human beings. They'll struggle at first, Saddam had no economy absent criminal enterprise under the nose of U.N. dipsticks.
Iraq has the second or third largest oil reserves in the World. It has a well constructed pipeline delivery system. It has a world class oil terminal and a deep water port. It has fertile fields, a strong transportation infrastructure, mineral potential, adequate hospital assets and a hungry and hopeful citizenry who were TERRORIZED by that bastard and his henchmen for 34 years. 34 years in a Gulag more insular that Stalins Soviet Union. Give them a chance to emerge from their life view of imminent death.
Iraq and Iran are NOT Saudi Arabia or the Sudan. They are crouching economic tigers in that region absent dictators and genocide freaks. That's the key to driving the 8th Century murderers into the abyss.
You sound hopeful. I am not. Iraq didn't even begin to approach the level of insularity that the Soviet Union did under Stalin. That, I will disagree with. Sadaam didn't even control his borders that well! But Iraq has been isolated and artificially stript of it's various cultures. I suspect they will all seek to be "authentic" again (as many Russians are attempting now with the return to Orthodox Christianity). And that won't mean being "western". I actually hope you are right. But I sadly suspect that I am.