What Caliphate? There are Shites, Wahabis, Sunnis and about 20 different muslim factions killing each other because of this caliphate business. They can't agree about anything so how will they agree on a Caliph? And a Caliph is one person like a pope. They've been fighting about this Caliph bullshit literally since 1400 years.

Why would they suddenly agree on everything (from women's rights, to which way to face to pray)? They wouldn't have been able to ouster Saddam or any one to create this caliphate you speak of. Infact Saddam is being put on trial just for killing all the idiots who wanted this Caliph bullshit.

On the other hand... Saddam was Sunni, Iran is Shite, Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia is Wahabi and they have ALWAYS been at war. You really think that suddenly they were all going to start singing kumbayah and form voltron type being called the Caliphate?

However, NOW we have given them all a common enemy. Heck, we might just be aiding the formation of some caliphate.

And a caliph is a person. It doesn't matter if any one is occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the pope he could sit in syria and say his orders.. ofcourse no one would listen to his wild rantings.