Informative and interesting post, thanks.
I remember a story before the invasion was launched, how the Kuwaiti's were looking forward to Saddam's toppling because they anticipated an open border with Iraq and would be allowed to cross over to gamble at casinos and buy alcohol. I guess everyone is learning that "regime change" can have unintended and tragic consequences. I wonder why no one predicted that if democracy was created in Iraq that the possibility of a "Talibanic" replacement would be a likely result in a land whose vast majority are Muslims.