Iraq, exactly what is the mission?

[Botany]

I keep hearing finish the mission ... what the hell is the mission?

9/11 .... no link
WMDs ... none there
To check Iran .... Iran now is a stronger "player" in the region
Democracy ..... please 75% + of Iraqis want us gone but we are staying
GWAT (Global War on Terror) ..... we are helping to build a world wide
anti Western terrorist movement
al Qaeda ..... between 1,500 and 3,000 al Qaeda fighters who are not
Iraqis (Iraq Study Group)
Help the Iraqi People ..... the numbers are too grim to even speak of them
Mideast Stability ...... Turkey v Kurds, Israel into Lebanon, Iraqi refugee crisis,
Iran shelling northern Iraq ..... and so on.

Last two things oil and money from government "bids" .... bingo

[Selatius]

1. I think, to put it shortly, to get a pro-US government that is stable and is willing to do business.

That's the long-term goal, I guess.

Short term? Make a shitload of money off war contracts. War is a racket, as Gen. Smedley Butler said.

[cliffordu]

2. We stay there forever, in a constant state of conflict to serve

as a warning to Iran and Syria: "We can do this to YOUR country, too."

We don't have to win. We can just ruin your country.

[napoleon_in_rags]

3. You may be right, but its a hell of an expensive message to send.

"We'll sink trillions into screwing up in YOUR country too!"

[cliffordu]

4. I think the only part missing is the ability to get the oil out -

If they could do that, it'd be game, set and match.....

then the war WOULD pay for itself.