KRUGMAN: I’m liking Obama more and more as he slogs through his second term. (Me Too!)

[JDPriestly]

42. True. And reprehensible because we have a lot of serious issues like economic

inequality that is harming our economy for everyone. But, we have to vote in presidential elections for the person who is least likely to make mistakes in foreign policy. And war is a big mistake unless it is necessary.

Think about the Iraq War.

Recent news from Iraq:

This was the first election since U.S. troops left Iraq and the third election since the removal of Saddam Hussein. Terrorist attacks have continued in Iraq up to the recent elections. Over the last year, approximately 1,000 civilians have died each month from the violence, much of it generated by foreign terrorists coming from Syria through Turkey and led by al-Qaeda linked forces such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Despite the violence, the election was relatively free. Still, the recent election results have not resolved any of the underlying conflicts in the country.

. . . .

The Sunni provinces, chiefly Anbar province in the West and Nineveh in the Northwest, remain a source of discontent and a fertile ground for terrorism. ISIS challenges the central government's control of these regions and effectively holds the city of Fallujah. They have reached areas surrounding Baghdad and attacked one of its Shia universities. Al-Maliki's government has proven willing to fight terrorists with brutal force, if necessary. However, the terrorists retain support in Fallujah and the surrounding area because of the broader anti-government sentiment in the region.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adil-e-shamoo/iraq-elections-no-end-to-_b_5411772.html

What was the point? We killed a lot of people, but so far we can't say we changed things anywhere near enough to make the deaths worthwhile. Maybe it is too soon to judge, but . . . .