One of the more Machiavellian justifications for invading Iraq was the flypaper theory. Invading and occupying Iraq might turn the country into a magnet for anti-US terrorists, the argument went, but it was better to slug it out in a distant and foreign land instead of closer to home.
The so-called flypaper strategy had a certain logic and superficial appeal even if it dripped cynicism. Most Iraqis might be glad to see the back of Saddam Hussein, but they are probably none too thrilled that their country has turned into a vicious battleground between US forces and the jihadists, especially as most of the casualties are Iraqis.
Now a CIA report reveals that US intelligence officials are beginning to have doubts about the flypaper idea.
According to a report in the New York Times, a new classified assessment says Iraq may prove to be an even more effective training ground for extremists than Afghanistan was for al-Qaida, because it is serving as a real-world laboratory for urban combat.
Even more worrying, intelligence officials told the Times that Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other unnamed countries - presumably the US and the UK - would soon have to contend with militants leaving Iraq equipped with considerable experience and training.
In an age of globalisation, the flypaper theory seemed to smack of wishful thinking. Even if the US eventually prevails in Iraq, many of those who have acquired their terrorist skills in the "Iraqi lab" will have made their getaway. If so, one of the justifications for going into Iraq - that it would advance the "war on terror" - will have turned out to be an illusion.
