On 1), mountainous arrogance, perhaps aided by treating the Iraqis as a barbarous bloc to be vigorously oppressed, might be the first thing to try, even without needing any signal atrocities. The beauty of the internet means people are more touchy than ever, as long as one presses the right buttons. Come to think of it, I seem to be advocating trolling as a foreign policy.

I was thinking on it not long after writing it, i guess you wouldn't so much need atrocitys, when you think of all the controversy caused by the mohammed drawings, implied insults towards iraqis could do a lot of work by itself, also a change of rhetoric, simply put talk as if your an imperial force spreading your empire and as if you are just out to get iraqi resources...

purely theoratical of course but an intresting idea...