As I recall, there was a consensus among leadership after the First Gulf War, that to proceed into Iraq would have resulted in us being involved in a civil war with the U.S. as the enemy.
FYI We suffered 146 Killed in that war. We had 10,000 hospital beds on reserve for potential casualties.
I was in the AF Medical Service during Vietnam and the First Gulf War.
My apologies for the misstatement about Islam and Iraq relative to the First Gulf War.