IIRC the Bush administration had planned to invade Iraq regardless of 9&#x2F;11. The US Department of Defense had placed the final documents on Bush&#x27;s desk (ready for him to sign) 48 hours <i>prior</i> to the fall of the first tower. So really, 9&#x2F;11 gave Bush a convenient excuse to do what he was going to do anyway.<p>The rationale was that Hussein needed to be replaced. Iraq was too unstable and it might fall to Iran, which would upset the power balance in the middle east. I think Afghanistan was thrown in as an afterthought because, you know, &quot;terrorists&quot;.