Re: Most of the "Gotchas" came some time after "Mission Accomplished"
I agreed early on that the cost of the Iraq War was excessive and ill advised. The long term effect of the war on the US will always be negative but the long term benefit to Iraq is still to be seen.
As for Afghanistan, it was not a controversial action and it remains a UN sanctioned thing. Due to politics, the outcome is clouded. I remain uncertain but I could be probably be convinced that the future of the Afghans is of no important consequence to us.