re: Well...
Are we still there for altruistic reasons?
Very arguable.
Saddam is no more a threat, so why stay?
To correct the earlier mistakes of invading and bringing chaos?
By feeding more hatred into those who want the troops out?
It's really strange that there's a need to take over cities when sooner or later the troops won't be there anyway.
Because of civil war? Well, they'd have to learn how to tolerate each other anyway, without outside influence.
It's more psychological than anything else: to leave would be greatly humiliating to the US.
Raoul