What does amaze me is that all the brilliant minds in the American administration could not foresee the result of their little foray in Iraq... We, ordinary mortals could add up in the middle of the night in 2002 that two plus two equals four: "You invade Iraq and end up with a mighty disaster"...

Thus I believe the bright neocons knew they were going to create a mighty quagmire in which the looting for American interest in oil and other money fiddles would flourish in incentives that the the US public would buy to a point... When the US voters showed their displeasure recently, the new directions offered are poo-pooed by the president who still believes in Santa Claus... But underlying all these option is the fact that the war, despite its death tolls in civilians and US troops, is still profitable for a powerful influential few... The option of the US troops becoming "observers" in Iraq is the option the President secretly want for another 25 years to protect the oil wells, the rest can go which ever way down the gurgler...