where is the UN dave? the UN pulled out because the US couldnt provide the security. Anyway its not up to the UN do anything, this was an optional war that Bush and the neocons pushed, alienating most of the US's allies, and discarding some of the very reasons that the UN was created for in the first place.

The UN is not some independent entity anyway but forum in which nations can resolve their differences, where war is legally defined and used as a last resort. It was founded by far seeing people who had just lived through the worst great power war in history, and who knew that the next one fought with nuclear weapons - would be far worse.
Bush discarded it in favour of the law of the jungle, essentially what we had in the 19th century.

It was never about terrorism. It was not even about oil.
It was about establishing and maintaining pax americana through military supremacy. The project of the alqaeda islamists collided with and energized the project of the neocons. (THis isnt some secret conspiracy, Wolfowitz, Perle, Rumsfeld and CHeney have all either given speeches and published papers on this topic.

There have been some 23 different reasons given by the administration for invading Iraq. Whats amazing is just how much the american people have bought it. Why is it that more than 50% still believe that Iraq and 911 are still linked?

As occupier it is up to the US to provide security and help rebuilding. One of the dumbest military decisions (probably of the last century) had to be disbanding the Iraqi military and releasing 1000s of idle and embittered young men WITH their weapons.
Instead of putting them to work cleaning up the streets, the plugged up sewers, restoring electricity and paying them for it. THe group in charge before Viceroy Bremer replaced them, had planned and budgeted for it.

With only 2% of the IRaqi population seeing the US as liberators it is only a matter of time and sadly when enough American kids sent over there die, and the MOGADISHU Line is crossed. (that would be the number of US dead, the American population will accept) There is also the high cost borne by the US taxpayer. And unlike Wolfowitz predicted the cost of the war certainly hasnt been paid for by the oil revenues.

As for Pax Americana, see what happened to Britain.
THe US has 4% of the worlds population, and a rapidly declining 20% of the economy. In 30 years, CHinas economy is set to overtake the US,
with India close behind. Right now the European Union and other countries are taking a wait and see attitude, but if the US stays on its unilateral path, the world is going to go back to the old system of alliances and re-armament of the 19th century.

IT may be really surprising but the rest of the world isnt interested in the US being its globocop.