Why the Terrorists Made Iraq the Epicenter of the "War on Terror"

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The goal in war is not just to "kill people and break things" (as many would have us believe). The goal is to deny the enemy the ability to continue the fight. True, killing people and breaking things is a major part of doing that, but in modern warfare, there is and even bigger part. "You cannon defeat the U.S. Military on the battlefield. That is achieved on the floor of the House & Senate". ~ ParaTed2k's (Not So) Famous Sayings. The nations of Western Culture have been at war with Islamist Extremist terrorists (hereafter referred to as "the bacteria) for decades now... or should I say, they have been at war with us; but we have only recently started actually shooting back. After 9/11/01 Prs. Bush decided to end the long practiced "lay back and take it" policy of the past and engaged the enemy, mostly in Afghanistan and Iraq. The enemy had a choice, defend Afghanistan (which they had a pretty good hold on) or move to Iraq. There were coalitions in both countries, led by the US but made up of other countries. The operations against terrorism in Afghanistan enjoyed positive press and support from the people of the coalition nations. On the other hand, Iraq did not. If the bacteria chose to put the majority of their push in Afghanistan they would be fighting an uphill battle both on the battlefield and the propaganda front. On the other hand, if they engaged us in Iraq... sure, they'd have to fight us in the deserts and cities, but they wouldn't have to fight very hard on the propaganda front... after all, most of that was being fought in their honor by the press of the coalition nations, as well as many of their own policitians. If the bacteria had sent the bulk of their fight to engage the Coalition in Operation Enduring Freedom, they would have to actually face us on the battlefield. Since their best hope for success is to beat us on the battlefield of popular opinion and the international community, they have chosen to make Iraq the epicenter of the war on terror... and why not? It worked in Vietnam, Cuba, Beirut, & Somalia. They have even been able to convince Senators, House Members, Former Presidents and even U.S. War Vets and Retirees to help them with their fight. Fortunately, they're having a harder time convincing millions of Thumb Stained Iraqis.