Wig,
1) Capturing and killing Osama would be a much bigger message. No need to blow a whole non-terrorist sponsoring nation to bits to do it. There are plenty of places much more deserving on that basis.
2) Unlikely. Iraq is a country destined for a dictatorship, in one form or another. At this point, the people aren't even able to agree to have an agreement to agree to setting up an interim government appointed by them to be replaces be a democratically elected government some time in the future.
3) Also unlikely in the long run. I don't think Iraq will allow the US troops to stay on their soil for all that long... it just isn't politically popular in the end of the world. With the US working from Kuwait and other neighboring countries (including Turkey) adding bases of operation here is just a duplication of existing military setups. The only potential would be to allow the US to move all of their troops out of Saudi Arabia.
Alex
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Let's go to the edge of disaster Push the pedal and go a little faster Let's slam into a wall at ramming speed Let's go to the edge of a mountain Jump off and lets start countin' Hit the ground and tell me if it bleeds
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