And So It Ends (Sort Of)

Yesterday the last US "combat" brigade left Iraq leaving only 50,000 "advisors". That's a hell of a lot of advice. I sort of recall an American general, probably Tommy Franks remarking just as the invasion started something like "So, somebody tell me how this is going to end?". Well, after;

2708 days of invasion and occupation
~100,000 - 1,000,000 dead Iraqi citizens
~5,000 dead invading regular military, and mercenaries (not contractors, mercenaries)
~2,000,000,000,000,000 USD of direct and long term costs
0 Weapons of Mass Destruction found

We got;

1 dead third world dictator

Plus a bunch of other things like the looting of the Iraqi National Museum which lost of thousands of priceless artifacts of the very origins of human civilization. Creating at least 7 years of hyperinflated oil prices. Immeasurably increasing the power and influence of Iran in the region. Untold misery and hardship for the Iraqis who didn't get killed with no end in sight.

And the beat goes on. Some blog commentator and I can't recall where I read it, who is clearly more witty than me said something like" why should we complain, we keep putting up ground zeros right next to mosques?"