re: Motive vs. consequence
I think this is kind of a moot point. I have not accepted the premise that our motives in attacking Iraq were evil, or even base. Almost any base motive you can think of could have been accomplished in an easier way, including improving Bush's political stance, getting the oil, or anything else.
If we were really bent on empire, how many nukes would it take?
...a dream come true for humanity.
Unless they're carrying books titled "To Serve Man."