As far as I'm concerned, if you spend money and have nothing to show for it (Iraq), you're not practicing good economics. It's money up in smoke. Unsustainable phantom economics as far as I'm concerned, as compared to government spending money on a highway or bridge wherein there are assets created. War creates nothing and I don't buy the argument war is somehow good for the economy over the long term, unless of course you take possession of another county's assets -- which we didn't do in Iraq. I'm not fooled by short term share prices of Haliburton.
Even all the adventurism of the British Empire, in which they DID seize assets (ever been to the British Museum?) has, in retrospect, proven to be unhelpful to the British economy -- they'd have been better off staying home and baking cookies.
Countries that supported USA will benefit from lots of reconstruction work and business after the war. Your country don't even have to send in troops directly, so long you are a good ally of uncle Sam. When uncle Sam bomb, just keep quiet about it and you will be rewarded eventually.
Things are not so simple. Many companies got orders, as well as bunch of subcontractors. No one really counted the oil exported and no one know real prices.
How was Iraq good for the USA economy? The price tag is over a trillion dollars and rising and we didn't get anything out of it, not even cheap gas prices. Money down the drain -- nothing to show for it except a bunch of veterans with missing limbs and PTSD.
About confession. No surprises here, all had been clear for long. And it is not bad from US and economic sides, because without this wars situation had been much worse.