"So presumably the fact that America would be responsible for starting The Mother Of All Civil Wars in which thousands of Iraqis would kill one another isn't of concern to you?"

Strolling Johnny - "We" the Americans, are not responsible for any civil war that ever may start in Iraq. The only people that can start a civil war are the citizens of that country deciding that "we" can't live with "them". It seems to me that that whole area is in a constant stae of suspended civil war. If we pull out the "we" can decide to live in peace with the "them" or they can take up arms and try to exterminate each other.

It would be a terrible tragedy but it doesn't look like our involvement in it can do anything other than delay it. Saddam's Ba'athist party came into power from a previous civil war. It was only a matter of time before the pendulum swung the other way.