I agree they are not the same. I am appealing to those who tend to lump these incidents together.

As for Iraq, many of the intentions may have been noble. That matters. However, the US does deserve a massive amount of criticisms for having gone against the international community and invaded. We told the US not do so it. We told it there was no WMDs and the US still defied its allies and international community. We basically got branded enemies by Bush for not supporting the invasion.

I remember well that time. We got so much shit from Americans for opposing a war we had every right to oppose. Yet, no American politician or individual never apologized for that behavior.

Sure people in Iraq fought each other but blaming it on them is frankly rather arrogant. The US fired the whole Iraq army and all Baath members. Every body who used to be in power got kicked out. Those people organized a resistance to US rule? How is that surprising?

The US utterly disregarded the culture and history of Iraq in its occupation and management. That is their damn job to know as occupiers.

But despite all of this I view the West as unit better. The US may have failed in Iraq but many of its allies opposed. China and Russia has no real internal debate or disagreement going. Many Americans today recognize Iraq as a mistake. China and Russia the history they tell their children never really have mistakes.