Jad thanks for the response. I'll only say this; my opposition to the war is a philosophical one. That is to say I am a conservative and realist (no peacenik here), and if this war is helping to eliminate a threat to US national security then fine and dandy, continue on. If however this war is more about nation-building and grand utopian ideas (democracy for all, etc.) then that's where my skepticism comes into play. If you cannot have one without the other (i.e. eliminate the threat via democracy promotion) then I am still skeptical.
However I am probably not going to change anyone's mind, and you seem confident that a threat is being subdued, so I am not going to press the issue, lest I be thought of as a troll. I am mostly hear to exchange ideas and different perspective , and no I do not take myself too seriously.
BTW--I had inferred earlier that you were a man, my own bias I guess since I assume all posters to these types of message boards are men, but here there are a few women, and you have such a lovely avatar, and Jad may not be a man's name...So if I was wrong in that I apologize.