re: What should the USA have done after 11 September 2001?

Had we not decided that Iraq taking over Kuwait and possibly Saudi Arabia was such a bad thing, then 911 may never have happened. The Gulf War was not necessary. Why? Because there are no "good guys" in the oil countries. Would Saddam have attemepted to take over SA? Probably. Then what? Well he's now a huge threat and buffer to Iran, Hezebollah, Al Quaeda, and any other Jihadist group. Would he attempt to cut off the US from ME oil? Hell no, who want to alienate the world largest consumer?

No US troops would have lived and died in Saudi Arabia and in the process enraging the radicals. US companies could still have done biz with Saddam and there would have been no long embargo, which resulted in the death of up to 500,000 children.

Doing absolutely nothing would given us a better result and most likely 911 never happens. Saudi Arabia goes from being ruled by a corrupt royal family to being ruled by a mafia regime.

We succumbed to fear - just like the invasion of Iraq and the current ISIS crisis. Our leaders effectively used fear to make us believe that all hell would be the result of inaction. What a crock of shite. For those of you who want to kill all Muslims, would allowing a Stalinesque dictator repress, torture, and kill his own countrymen be all that bad in exchange for stability?