Mission accomplished? The 2003 boast that haunts today’s Iran conflict

Then there were those “neo-conservatives” who wanted to reshape the Middle East, bringing democracy and removing dictatorships hostile to the US. Baghdad first, then Tehran, some said, a reminder how long Iran has been on the agenda. And finally after the 11 September attacks in 2001 which killed 2,977 people (not counting the 19 hijackers) after planes were crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pensylvania, there were hawks in Washington who wanted to restore America’s deterrent power and show what it could do.