> "...There are no sure things in international relations. The benefit to the US is the *possibility* that a secular, stable Iraq will result in the intermediate term future..."
Au contraire. The stable, well organized, and highly militarized Iraq of a decade ago was a serious threat to Zionist goals for the region. This nation has been dismantled and no longer serves as the anti-Zionist anti-American rallying point for the region. The benefit to the Neo-Cons and US and Israeli hawks is simple and clear, and their lobby money has been well spent. Mission accomplished. 
The only possible benefit to the Average American was trickle-down luchre from the insanely huge Govt contracts for Bush's Military-Industrial Complex and Big Oil Corporate Sponsors.
Of course, his Corporate-Crim buddies grossly understimated how much loot they'd need to lie and connive from Congress to be able to hold on to Iraq long enough for the contracts to mean anything. That's the problem with crooks. Greedy loves Stupid.
Sadly for shrub and his Corporate Sponsors, he's finding that Germany, France, Russia etc. all want a cut of the "rebuilding contracts" that were supposed to go to Hallibuton et al. I mean, these guys have paid good money to encourage shrubs agressive stance in the region, and they certainly deserve a little kick back, right?
This puts shrub in a bad position... he won't get UN support unless the "Provisional Authority" (ha ha) is under UN control, but then shrub can't dictate which of his buddies get the contracts, or the ridiculous terms and margins! Oh no!
Any comment Mr. President?
"When I was coming up it was a dangerous world, and we knew exactly who the they were. It was us versus them, and it was clear who them was." - G.W. Bush from Journeys With George by Alexandra Pelosi, debuted on HBO Nov. 5, 2002
