Actually we probably should of ignored Al Queda or atleast not treat them as special. I mean in reality I'm pretty sure Osama Bin Laden doesn't have that much against the US and just attacked us because Al Queda was a floundering orginzation that was never going to accomplish his goals so he had to attack America to bolster up recruits.
Well either that or just have killed him like you suggested. Either one would of helped, but the going after them ruthlessly option I think would lead other like minded looneys to attempt the same and risk getting captured by the US to get a huge bolster in support, since we would have to often go against what other governments want to take out Al Queda by sending our forces in.
I think if we take troops out of Iraq even more people are going to die right now.
Iran I think should of been invaded mostly because it always seemed that they pretty much funded terrorists to bother us and soon are getting nuclear weapons. Which is a pain of a solution. Overall it seemed like the local forces were going to enact a change in government on it's own but it seems like they may get the bomb first, and if they do... before a revolution. Well our time in Iraq has shown us what happens when you overthrow a government and all you care about is overthrowing the government... not to mention any sort of "Hey we're screwed anyway" type moves they might want to make.
You can't solve the problem by keeping troops in. But you can stall. Hopefully the next president actually trys to think of a way to fix stuff instead of running out the clock.
Honestly though, I think 9/11 happened just because America is the "big dog" in the room. Not because of any of our foriegn policys. Just because their used to be 2 superpowers, US and Russia... and now there is only the US and people always hate the country thats "ahead" in the world view. (Not that we really are that much when you compare a lot of things like education with some countries, but thats a common perception.)
I mean, when England had it's empire everyone really hated England. Look at all the support America got in the American Revolution even though the whole reaons for the revolution really weren't that big of a deal.
The Canada as America's confrence thing was obviously just a joke for people who like to think the US is the only country that does things to manipulate other countres.
Really the World Trade Orginzation is proof of that though. You can say that's the cause of an overextended psuedo-govermental body just making the problem worse... and you wouldn't be wrong, but i think they do it on purpose.
