[warrantofice]

This is a very difficult discussion because there are so many different variables at play.
Obviously the US botched the entire situation, regardless of its original goals, by allowing the looting and proliferation of automatic weapons/basic explosives shells and devices to previously oppressed radical groups. This was a mutal fact of their poor planning. Perhaps they were running on the high of their liberation of Afghanistan and felt like another roll...But there are also deeper reasons for the invasion that have not been formally announced but which make to much sense to ignore. The need to secure engery resources, i.e. oil is a major necessity for continuing global dominance against the likes of other super powers such as Russia and China. I think the US planned for there to be an insurgency in Iraq, which was even predicted in CIA evaluation of the plan, but it certainly was not predicted to the nearly as intense as it has been. But I think the idea was for the US to stay in Iraq for a very long time to secure the country from terrorist. i.e. I think the US knew that once Saddam was gone that a free Iraq would likely become very close allies with Iran because of their closely shared beliefs. So a small occupational force would be left to ensure that the oil would be 'evenly' distributed and give some extra security to any corporations which would want to begin shilling their wares to the Iraq's. Oh course none of this can be substantiated. The plan above was obviously, IMO, the best possible out come for the US. The current outcome is probably close to the worst.