The circumstance in Afghanistan was awesome. There was a war torn region with a history of tribal violence and invasion by surrounding empires. They had never developed an economy or an infrastructure of any significance. Once the Russians left they fell into disrepair, fueding and brutal conflict between factions, resulting in an age old fractured culture. Al-Quaida organized them under one united banner in a very short period and for the first time in history. Though they still had no resources that would be considered significant, they posed a serious strategic threat to the Global community.
A country with no resources scared us all when they became organized against us and they did it while we were napping.
Enters Iraq onto the world stage: The circumstance in Iraq is different because Iraq sits on the weath of the world, poses a threat to the economic stability of the world, has tentative support from either Iran who has a modern military, Arabia with additional wealth, Egypt, Jordan, Siria, Palestine etc, and the potential of some allied western countries. You also have the potential of the Al-Mahdi Army or a similar group to achieve a multi-national superpower status with the similar/identical goals as Al-Qaida.
We abandon them at our own peril, IMO. |
