Prolonged wars in the middle east aren't popular either as we only very recently ended two of them, but this administration has no imagination and is just copying what W Bush did.
I agree it has already been decided as we're seeing the very same manufactured consent in the media as we did before Iraq and Afghanistan, and Democrats are always willing to jump on board with whatever the Republicans want, so there isn't really anyone around to stop it from happening.
1% of shoulders hate this one weird trick.