Regarding Iran, they were marginalized by Iraq until we took out Saddam. That's why the US supported Saddam in the first place and whey we left him in power after the first gulf war. He served many of our interests. He suppressed the Islamic fundamentalists (who were a threat to him) and kept Iran at bay.

I'd take him back in a minute, contain him from expanding west and let him continue to run Iraq and serve our interests. Oh, by the way, his system of governing Iraq was brutal and inhumane, but it worked.

Jeff

Jeff