Why Legitimacy In Iraq Matters

Legitimacy is a matter of degree. It seems that Bush's venture in Afghanistan will be much more sucessful than that in Iraq because

1. In Afghanistan we overthrew a regime (Taliban) that was protecting an organization (Al Qaeda) that attacked us. In Iraq we overthrew a regime that was neither threatening us nor capable of attacking us.


2. Although Karzai was picked by the administration. He does seem to be genuinely concerned about the future of Afghanistan. His position does not seem to be a reward for supplying false information to the U.S. or working as a covert operative.