George W. Bush announces, “We are redefining the war on our terms,” speaking of America’s operational management of the war. But in reality, the strategic objective set by politics (the creation of a democratic Iraqi state) will be unattainable by military force. Military force, however, has achieved the military objective of defeating the Iraqi army and occupying the country, implementing military techniques developed in the 1980s to counter the Soviets in north-central Germany in the event of a conflict.
