Regarding Iraqi resistance:
You even fail to acknowledge the feats of Iraqi resistance. The level of resistance that Iraqi people have demonstrated against the invader is actually amazing. Iraqi resistance have actually surprised the entire world. And it is 100% true that Sunni and Shia Iraqi militias have indeed put up joint resistances against US military forces on several occassions and most notably in 2004. And one thing you should note is that Iraqi resistance is actually fighting against the most powerful military force in the world. And putting some sort of credible resistance against such a foe is alone a notable feat to acknowledge.
Even if the Iraqi resistance fails to meet its objective. History will still acknowledge that Iraqi people did put up some fight at-least and that too against the most powerful army on Earth.
Though it is sad to notice that Iraqi people now suffer from the internal strife of a major secretarian voilence and Iraq seems to be on the brink of getting split.
This is the ultimate casualty, a nation can suffer from a devastating invasion. Remember the crises in Afghanistan after the Soviets left? The Mujhideen factions actually turned their guns on each other.
The Iraqi resistence has failed miserably, 3445 American dead for over 50,000 Insurgent dead. But thats not the real failure, the real failure is the 100,000 plus civillians they have killed with thier bombs and the billions in reconstruction that has been wasted. US builds a pipeline- insurgents blow it up, US builds a school-insugents kill the teachers, US fixes the power grid- insurgents wreck the transmission towers, US says repeatedly stop fightign so we can go home- insurgents pick up the level of violence, US says Mosgues are off limits- insurgents turn them into bases, US catches a tyrant and turns him over for justice- insurgents kidnap aid workers and behead them.
How exactly is this hurting America. Its wrecked a several thousand lives and cost billions, but compared to the damage they are doing to themselves its just a drop in the bucket. By now 4 years after the invasion, Iraq could have been rebuilt and remade as a prosperous country, and US troops could be home. Instead an already ruined country has been knocked to the level of African third world by its own ihabitants and forgien co-religionist. The Insurgents are not defeating America they are defeating thier own children who will have to live with the mess they've made.
When at the end of the day America goes home I will still have power, television, internet medical care, clean water, food, and hope and all the things the insurgents denied to Iraq with thier stupid jihad. I might have to pay a few more dollars in taxes to recoup the costs of the war but, oh well my country of 1/3 billion people will go on watching "So You Think You Can Dance" or "CSI." If anything America will be a bit more jaded about Islam, and far more ready to just bomb-n-go when we have problems with anyone who calls themselves a Muslim, and a lot less willing to take on even more public debt next time some earthquake or tidal wave or famine hits the Ummahh some where on Gods green earth. After all if you hate us and God/ Fate/ Mother Nature does us a favor and wipes 70,00 or 165,000 of you out in a single blow who are we to naysay that and rush to rescue.
But then again we might remain caring and generous, unlike the Islam practiced by those engaging in the insurgency and secterian violence in Iraq, "love thy neighbor and Love thine enemies" is a tenet of faith for most Americans.
Plus America knows unlike many on this and other sites that most Iraqies are not insurgents, that there are more police and national guard than insurgents (if not religious militia). They don't plant bombs, they get bombed by their fellow Muslims. When an Iraqi National Guardsmen gets wounded by his fellow Muslim and he needs a miracle and an angel to survive, it ussaly takes the form of an American medevac and trauma system. Did any of you ever wonder who provides the majority of the funding and supplies for Iraq's medical system? pays for food, and provides reconstruction jobs, buys school books and supplies, tried to get Saddam's war debt releived.... America so ya I guess we are the evil colonial power after all.