The bottom line is, the U.S president is the one who made the decision to go to war.
The bottom line is the president does what the lobbyists tell him to do.
That is not true. Lobbyists don't have that much power. Obama said that Israel must withdraw to the '67 lines. Obama also treats Netanyahu like shit. Do you think the lobbyists want that? Also, despite all the money that Adelson gave to Romney, Obama still won the election.
My own opinion of the Second Iraq war is as follows: It was fought for 3 reasons. 1) Vice-President Cheney had major connections in an oil company called Haliburton, and he wanted a contact in Iraq for oil. 2) Bush wanted revenge for his father. Saddam tried to assassinate the older Bush. It was a personal grudge. When I pointed this out in another thread once, someone said that I was not a good son if I didn't feel it was right to lead an entire nation into war to protect my father's honor. I'm sorry, but I don't relate to that kind of thinking. 3) Yes, it was also fought to protect Israel, and supposedly create a democratic Middle East. What the planners of the war didn't count on was that the Arabs/Muslims would never be able to create a democracy. They must be ruled by a strong, ruthless secular dictator--otherwise, they fall into Islamic messes.