Problem is, Teribus, I am not taking either side, no matter how hard you try to make it look like I am. I don't know what would be the best course of action for the US with regard to Iraq, and all of my posts on this thread are from the perspective of looking at both sides of the situation. I don't think immediate withdrawal is necessarily the best course of action because I don't know if allowing Iraq to become Balkanized is a good thing or not. I don't think a long-term US presence in necessarily the best thing either, because US military bases in the Middle East have a tendency to foment greater ill-will toward the US and because it really isn't democratic to have the US government prop up dictatorial regimes in other countries, as it is doing now in several countries, for the benefit of its corporate cronies.

I think there must be a third option that doesn't present the kinds of problems I see being inherent in the only two options currently on the table, but I don't know what it is right now. At any rate, the different factions are duking it out in the court of public opinion, and it looks like the faction that wants to see Iraq (and all of the middle east, plus Turkey and Iran) Balkanized looks like it might be winning.

I have to say though, the fact that you assumed I was attacking the oil interests suggests to me that that is the particular faction you are working for.