Reply #7: This, oddly enough, might be part of the US strategy...

[punpirate]

... creating enough chaos to cause the country to break into autonomous regions, and eventually into three separate countries--a Kurdistan, a Basra-controlled Shia southern region and the Sunni Triangle--sort of a divide and conquer routine. Each one would be somewhat hostile to the other, and one or more would accept US aid as a means to their own defense.

One of the three, an autonomous Kurdistan, would be much more likely to work out status of forces agreements with the US to host long-term US bases (which is one of the main reasons for the invasion). Their territory is also where most of Iraq's undeveloped oil reserves are located.

Cheers.