What Mick said plus:
No one has all the answers. I will say with certainty that had bush not been elected we would not be in Iraq and Afghanistan now with no hope of getting out with any credibility and leaving behind a disaster for the local citizens.
And NO. I do not believe that they are better off now than before Saddam. Nor do I believe that invasion was our only option.

"away from the big money players"????
You mean like Cheney and bush?