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Rich,
In addition to your excellent point, it seems that:
1) Opportunity Cost is a pivot when their “democracy for the Middle East is a neo-con fantasy” argument ran into the reality-based communities on the Arab Street; and
2) Since we now know beyond any doubt that Saddam was gaming the inspections and oil-for-food systems, how would allowing him to do that for several more years lead Iran and North Korea to take our demands more seriously? The world demanded that Saddam verifiably and permanently disarm and Saddam gave the world the finger. If forcing him to endure the semi-permanent presence of Hans Blix was our firmest response, there isn’t a chance that Iran or North Korea would take any of our sternness remotely seriously. Making good on our threat in Iraq makes soft power more effective with other rogue states, not less.