Reply #80: Iraq is too big to fail. In Iraq the U.S. has put itself in permanent no win situation

[Douglas Carpenter]

From the point of view of strategic planners - militarily supporting a popular uprising in Libya was a lot less dangerous with a lot less long term complications than unilaterally and in contemptuous disregard for world opinion invading the much more populated, much more politically strategic, much more oil rich and much more geographically strategically sensitive Iraq.

Although the Libyan intervention had considerably more international support - I would agree that its legality and perhaps its morality is questionable. But right or wrong, good or bad - in terms of strategic blunders that might undermine America's national interest - I doubt there will be that many long term negative consequences for America in regards to the Libyan intervention. America will perhaps never recover from the catastrophic strategic blunder of invading Iraq.