Iraq - Failed Nationbuilding

Open email to Congress:

Dear Members of Congress,
    The Washington Times says security inside Iraq is unveiling at an alarming pace, and Al Qaeda terrorists there aren't just pulling the thread; they are setting it on fire. More than 1000 Iraqs were killed in bombings and shootings last month, making July the deadliest month since violence between Sunni and Shiite Moslems peaked from 2006 to 2008, the United Nations says.
    You and your predecessors are responsible for our spending $2 trillion on the Iraq war http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/iraq-war-cost-more-than-2-trillion_n_2875493.html. This is $6300 per person or $25,200 per family of four. Note that a family can get quite a good start on giving a college education to one of its members for that amount.
    More importantly, it is now clear that our war with Iraq was a waste of money. Saddam Hussein in Iraq was battling Iran, and they pretty much had a draw. We decided to intervene, with the ultimate result that we now have spent a tremendous amount of money to aid in Iraqis killing each other, while Iran goes about its merry way possibly developing an atomic weapon. Consider also that we had no significant interest in the Iraqi/Iranian conflict. If we had been after their oil or were protecting ourselves from invasion, it would've been another matter, but there was no logical reason reason why we should have ever attacked Iraq.
    I understand that some people like war. It's exciting and adventurous. I generally call these people warmongers, because in their liking of war, they try to get other people to like it and fund it. John McCain is a typical example. But the nature of war is destructive. It destroys developed property and kills people. That is a drain of resources which inhibits a civilization from developing a better lifestyle. Two examples of civilizations which wasted their resources on war were the American Indians and central Africans.
    I strongly suggest you collectively try to look at war in a different light than you have in the past. Wars will always exist, but we do not necessarily need to be a part of them. Unless we have a clear need for a defensive operation, there is generally no need for military engagements. If we see Al Qaeda training camps and know that they intend to do us damage, we cab bomb them out of existence without declaring a war. Similarly, on a more national basis, if we are quite certain that a country such as North Korea or Iran definitely mean to do us harm, we can take the initiative of obliterating their warmaking facilities. We did it during an existing war with Japan, and there is every justification for preempting an obvious attack by a stated enemy.