Iraq, as I said, involved a whole different set of reasons and decisions, one with no direct relevance to this thread... and if anything this discussion needs more focus, not less.
Of course, Iraq has relevance to the thread.

By stating that nd if anything this discussion needs more focus, not less won't wish away the issue.

It was said that the Oriental people do not understand the psyche of the Americans and hence do not understand that Revenge is a reason to go to war. I concede that.

If Revenge was the raison d'etre for going into Afghanistan, then the rational to leave it simmering and take on Iraq is indeed confounding.

Let us even concede that Revenge was the reason to go into Iraq, but militarily, one does not spilt the Selection and Maintenance of Aim or squander on the Principle of Concentration of Force or fail to adhere to the principle of Economy of Effort. I daresay that the US Army is one of the finest led Armies of the World. Much of the contemporary military thinking is from US Doctrines!! Therefore, would it be too much to believe that the US Army knows what they do? While the political head honchos have their own compulsions that are not so easily understood?

The thread is on Afghanistan and the ending of the insurgency and bringing stability to Afghanistan.

Therefore, it is very much relevant to wonder if it was the aim to take Revenge and in the process smash the AQ and bring stability to Afghanistan, then what prompted in the wavering of the Aim and moving the bulk from the US to Iraq?