It really didn't gain us anything solid because, like Vietnam, the objectives were never clear, nor the means given to achieve them.
Or should I say, the objectives were never clear once we defeated Saddam. The original mission was WMDs, but little thought was given to what happened after we achieved that objective. Since then, its kind of been a hapless quest to fight off insurgents and re-build the country.
What happens next will likely be bad for the US and the developed world. Iran and Pakistan are very unstable and developing nations. They have the means to defend themselves from attacks for the most part. The next 5 years are not going to be pretty, I'm afraid. I don't know if we've passed the Rubicon yet, but we're careening in that direction.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
