To look at Iraq as a bunch of savage Kalashnikov wielding maniacs is a pretty stupid thing to do. The people you see on TV burning American flags and setting IEDs up on the side of the road are the oppertunist groups living in the borders with syria, who have been trying to take over Iraq since before Saddams days. The only reason the western world didnt hear about them is because Saddam used extreme force to keep them from being a threat.
The majority of Iraqis are pretty average people living in modern cities with no desire to take up arms, they just want to live in peace. There was a documentary I watched recently about a up and coming heavy metal band living in Baghdad. With the recent uprising of the fundementalist groups trying to take control they were forced to flee Iraq and move to America and other less dangerous places. It was really interesting to see the Iraq war from the perspective of the Iraqi people, not as suicide bombing extremists, but as average guys just trying to live normal lives without the threat of American or jihadist groups killing them.
The only difference between the al-queda and the numerous skinhead groups littering Europe and America is that the al-queda have been trained and supplied by the CIA. demolish Capitol hill and the pentagon, then hand out bombmaking guidebooks to the KKK and wait and see what happens.