Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said that the US military presence in Iraq keeps neighbors from invading his country.

"The American presence has always prevented any kind of foreign invasion to Iraq," Talabani said."

The "American presence" seems to be a "foreign invasion".

And, Saddam was preventing a "foreign invasion". Without all the bloodshed and a helluva lot cheaper than Bush & Co. Fewer lives lost, and almost none of 'em American. For billions upon billions of dollars less. Trillions.

So they're saying there should be 2 permanent American bases in the country.

They don't even have a govenment which can control the capital, that's how popular it is. Sorta like the one in Afghanistan. Without several hundred thousand American troops there to prop up the government they got nothing.

Were it not for the lost opportunities, lost lives, lost treasure, this would be very comical. No one would believe a soap opera, though, with this plot.

Arf