The anthrax letters had even less connection with Iraq than 9/11 (the only *real* connection between 9/11 and Iraq being that the Al Quida leadership hated the Iraqi leadership). The minimal results from the limited investigations made into the letters showed that the anthrax came from within the USA, and the letters were sent from within the USA. At that point, the investigation dried up - decide for yourself if you think it was too difficult to get more results, or if certain authorities realised further investigations would prove too embarrassing.
The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq did not really have much to do with paranoia - at least, not on the part of the US leadership. There are many ideas about the reason for the invasion of Iraq (to finish what Dad started, to please Israel, to bug Iran, etc.), although control of oil was probably the major factor. But invading Afghanistan was *not* about paranoia - it had nothing to do with making a serious effort to avoid terrorist attacks in the future. It was little more than revenge
- an attitude unpleasantly common in the USA (or at least an attitude glorified and publicised on the media and by the US leadership - I like to believe that most Americans are good, sensible people, drowned out by the shouting of the idiot minority). The US had been hurt, and their response was to find someone to hit - trying to find out what had happened, or *why* it had happened, were ignored in their thirst for revenge.
I guess this thread should be cross-posted to s.e.d. ...