Should really have mentioned the cock up that happened before, The Korean War. All the lessons were there to be learned but ignored with even worse political consequences. The U.S. has only ever fought one total war with full military might, then actually done what is necessary, that's occupy until stability is sustainable. Ever since it's tried to fight " limited " wars with limited aims and humiliating results, every successful campaign followed by a useless even antagonistic puppet government. Every military intervention by the U.S. since WW 2 has been disastrous not only to the target country but the whole region.