I think domestic politics will enable to install a benign dictator if we have credible civilian leaders that can make a case that is the best of all the bad options, and tie it to humanitarian reasons. The leader can add that we'll help Iraq set conditions for establishing democracy in time, but right now is not the right time since newly formed democracies are the most instable and most likely form of government to fail. Hard to stabilize a country that has suffered multiple years of sanctions, just finished a war with the U.S., and ethnic passions are rising by installing an unstable government.
Furthermore while I agree we broke it, I don't the think the combat operations did that much harm to Iraq (the initial operations), what broke Iraq was our cowardly 10 plus years of sanctions that destroyed the local economy while making Saddam stronger. It isn't as simple as you make it out to be.
Bookmarks