The US cannot win a victory or be defeated in an Iraqi civil war. When the US withdraws, then and only then will it become obvious what, if anything, was gained.
At best, what exists now is a standoff. Iraqis know the US will not be standing over them with guns forever.
Iran is never going to just pack its bags and move to another continent.
Iraq will always be a majority Shia state. Iraqis will always sympathize a lot more with Palestinians and Lebanese Shias like Hezbollah than they ever will with Israel.
Millions of Iraqis were driven from their homes into other countries like Syria, Iran and Jordan, or into other parts of Iraq, their fortunes wrecked. A lot of them do not respect the US for any reason other than that the US has the weaponry at the moment to keep them from rising up against it.
As Ghandi said to the British" "You will leave my country, you will not stay forever. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but you will eventually leave."
The US is the jailer, and sooner or later, the jailer will leave and thow the keys to the inmates. That's when you can see what was won.
Not before.
You clowns wanted the goddamn war. I think you should pay for it, especially those who did not actually get shot at. I am serious about this.
