Topic: Iraq, Past wars
Bush is correct about al Qaeda.  Using extreme violence can be addictive and his type of violence doesn't require large easily identifiable armies, but those who dress and act like everyone else.  

If al Qaeda can achieve a victory using such methods in Iraq others will think they can also achieve victory even though they have no realistic chance of actually taking over any country.  Al Qaeda has a chance of taking over Iraq because Saddam Hussein eliminated those capable of leadership and instilled a sense of fear in those who survived.  Incidentally, Hussein's killing of potential leaders is a major cause of the inability of the survivors of his reign to form a functional government.  

Even the Sunnis have no real leaders available, they are looking for al Qaeda or someone else to lead.  

40 years ago fictional spies fought international terrorist organizations with science fiction technology rather than foreign governments. UNCLE agent  Napoleon Solo fought Thrush.  James Bond fought Dr. No and Blofeld.  Matt Helm and Our Man Flynn fought private organizations  wanting to take over the world.

Al Qaeda may not have science fiction technology, but it has the same ambitions of the fictional organizations.  Osama bin Laden believes that he doesn't need fictional technology.  He believes he can use random terroristic violence to scare some into not fighting him and convince others to think they cannot defeat him.