Good points, all.

I have read everything I can find about the runup to the war and have concluded that the motives for launcing the war were mixed. You have start with the Administration's flawed assumption that the war would be quick, cheap, easy and wildly popular with the American people. This informs everything that happened.

The neocons conceived of the Iraq war as a way to quickly convert Iraq into a secular, democratic, free market ally of Israel. They were taken in by long-ago defectors like Chalabi who convinced them that Iraq had a vibrant middle class and a funcitioning infrastructure.

Rove convinced Bush that the war was an opportunity to isolate the dems for a long, long time on issues of security and terror. It was seen as a opportunity to stick to the UN, demonize the French, and galvanize the American people behind a resolute and courageous president.

There were other factors as well. Cheney told Bush that the executive branch has lost clout in the aftermath of Watergate and that the war would be a good vehicle to strengthen the presidency and operate in near secrecy.

Bush lacked the experience, character, foresight and judgement to tell those around him that they were leading the US into a quagmire or to demand comprehensive plans for the occuption.

Oil and national security issues played a minimal role in the decision to invade. The WMD and nukes were trumped up to sell the war. In the end, I think it came down to this: Bush was convinced by those around him to invade Iraq and had the power to do it.

There are 5 or 6 people who were insturmental in dreaming up this quixotic mission. They happened to hold high governmental positions at precisely the time that an accident of history put extraordinary power in the hands of a president who was woefully ill-equipped to handle it.

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"Should'a never taken Willoughby out."