How so? Beyond saddam is gone, what net net is better? Seems to me iran in stronger shape.
I'm not sure how Iran is in better shape. I've heard media reports that they are. But I cannot pinpoint anything specific that suggests it is true.
Saddam being gone is definitely a pretty major plus. We were, prior to the war, facing maintaining no-fly zones into perpetuity, having our patience and will to defend our position tested on a routine basis. Each time Saddam took us to the brink of war after the Gulf War, then backed off at the last minute, it had precisely the same effect in the Arab world as a terrorist attack, i.e., showed America to be weak and ineffectual. Furthermore, while there were no caches of WMD found, this undoubtedly would have been an issue in the future (there really has never been any proof those WMD -- which we KNOW he did have -- weren't transferred to Syria or elsewhere).
Most importantly, if a reasonable peace is reached in Iraq, the influence on Iranian masses, over time, will be hugely positive. Which was the real reason we went there in the first place. |
