Interesting, Jim. So Ireland is a good example of how to do things?

The actual combat in Iraq was well planned and executed if a bit aggressive. US planning for after the war was flawed because we're more used to fighting wars of attrition where our enemy's spirit and will to fight have been gradually crushed along with their armies. By the critiera I read in a book on wargaming just the other day, the US already has more troops in Iraq than was traditionally thought necessary to control a population their size even under the worst assumptions. Like a lot of things that happen as military matters evolve, our planning for after the war didn't take into account the full impact of shift to maneuver war where the population is not cowed and there are plenty of weapons lying around. The US military was designed to win wars, not police countries after they're defeated. Don't be surprised if you hear about us creating speical "peacekeeping" forces in the future.

"If we fail in Iraq, it will make the Afghan mission almost irrelevant, and will signal the end of any more excursions into that region for the forseeable future..."

I thought the later point was already clear. The US will not be going back to the Middle East militarily anytime soon, no matter what happens from here. We're going to have to find another way.

Interesting report this weekend that France would be willing to come into Iraq if they are given equal say in how the country is managed. Whatever you want to say about the US's desire to maintain control, a great deal France's motivation is outrage over not having as much say in what's going on in the world as they think they deserve. During the build up to the war, Chirac made that clear in the public threats he made to countries like Poland that were trying to get into the EU AND supported the US over Iraq. France cooperated in Haiti because the US accepted their plan for Aristide and putting peacekeepers in the country. They're still stinging because the world soundly ignored their plan for peace in Israel and Palestine.

I don't mean to single out France, but think about it. Germany, like Japan, is always reluctant to participate meaningfully in any foreign adventure. Naturally. China will never support anything they consider interfering in another country's internal affairs because they don't want to set a precident given how complicated it is to keep their empire together. France is really the sticking in both the UN and NATO. If they get what they want (notice they didn't say UN management of Iraq, it was French say in managing it), "international cooperation" will follow as soon as the current conflict settles down. Which it will shortly.