It Was a Noble Hope

I mean Bush's belief that freeing Iraq of Hussein could lead to a democratic Muslim society, but it appears that Hussein's Baathists were the most progressive part of Iraqi society.  11/7/24 Telegraph:

"Iraq is poised to slash the legal age of consent from 18 to to nine, allowing men to marry young children.

"The proposed legal change also deprives women of rights to divorce, child custody and inheritance."

Underlying this is that Islamic values on this are well outside the norms of not only Western Civilization but most others.