Let's also recall that shortly after Iraq was invaded, Ghadafi in Libya admitted and ended his nuclear program, probably assuming he was next to be invaded. So let's say we don't invade Iraq. And Ghadafi decides he can keep developing a nuke, and actually gets one or two built. Then gets overthrown in 2012. Now the nuke is in the hands of someone else. Maybe a good guy, maybe not.
Meanwhile in Iraq, which we didn't invade, Saddam continues on his reign, until one day he keels over dead. Maybe with help from one of his sons, who were bona fide psychopaths. And the son launches all their chem weapons at everybody.
I think we probably did over-reach on Iraq. But I also think, sooner or later, Iraq was going to be a big problem. Hindsight being 20/20, most experts now think Saddam was more worried about Iran than the U.S. Maybe face to face talks with him would have made him realize we were ready to invade, and forced him to relent, or maybe not.
We might at this moment be in a pickle just as bad, if not worse, had we not gone in.
