Quote Originally Posted by Thorne View Post
... it would have been the WRONG time to invade. Our allies at the time, Saudi Arabia and the smaller Arab countries, did NOT want Iraq taken out at that time, mainly because it was an excellent buffer against the Iranians.
I still think that's debateable. If anything, and strictly an opinion, the Saudi's would have loved to control Iraq... and buffer states are still buffers so long as you control them.

I think that whole "our allies didn't want us to" thing was a rationalization.

The Italians invaded Greece at the end of October, 1940, because Mussolini was "jealous" of Hitler's successes in Europe. When the Greeks drove them back into Albania, humiliating the Fascists in Italy, Hitler added Greece to his plans against Yugoslavia in order to help Mussolini save face. The bulk of the German forces drove into, and through, Yugoslavia first, forcing the surrender in about 12 days. It took another 10 days to drive the British out of Greece.
True... but... 22 days to conquer. Forever to control.