Who got us stuck in Iraq?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I think the failure in Iraq is due in large part to the following, in order of relevance:

1) Bush and Co. underestimating how foreign the concepts of Western civility, democracy and personal freedom are to Islam.  It was very naïve to think a predominately Muslim country would automatically embrace Western ideals.

2) This Administration’s almost total lack of a plan to secure Iraq after major military operations had halted.

3) This Administration’s unwillingness to quickly suppress and defeat the insurgency in the fall of 2003.

4) This Administration’s unwillingness to hold Iran and Syria militarily accountable for its undermining the formation of a unity government in Iraq.

5) the insurgency’s understanding and exploitation of the weaknesses of Western civility.

6) the insurgency’s understanding and exploitation of the fact that America has learned to run from fights are soon as its nose is bloodied.

...basically:  too much idealism, not enough planning, not enough resolve to do what is neccessary