From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

The Iraq War. What does it cost? What are the lessons?

Hello again, I'm Orman Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

As bombs began falling on Baghdad 10 years ago today,

American troops crossed the border from Kuwait into Iraq.

In just six weeks, the Bush administration went from shock and awe

to mission accomplished, but combat raged for another eight years.

More than half of Americans now think the war was a mistake.

Was it a failure of intelligence?

The lack of an exit plan?

Was Saddam Hussein the wrong enemy?

What will it ultimately cost the U.S. in prestige as well as in money?

And what's next for a ruined Iraq,

with a fragile democracy beset by continuing violence.

First, here's the news.

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Hello again, I'm Arminolny, back with To The Poet. In his first state of the union address, after September 11th, President George W. Bush set the stage for possible confrontation.

States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil

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