That article is 4 years old and was written just after the 2010 election. Things have changed a lot since then. While the Iraqis don't want to be anybody's vassal state, the level of Iran's influence with Nouri al-Maliki. Here's an article that's a bit more current/relevant:
Estimates I believe are more accurate approach a half-million Iraqis that would be alive today if there had be no Bush war in Iraq.
Those are the numbers I've heard.
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I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
- Mr. Underhill