I think someone is forgetting Vietnam. Seems all the shock and awe of American might wasn't able to bring those guys to heel. Yeah, I know what the response is going to be: Something about the politicians stickin' their noses in, attempting to be generals.

That may be true to an extent, but other factors played in as well. The never give up attitude is the strongest weapon a nation can deploy. The Brits displayed that attitude when being bombarded by Germany, prior to the US entering the war.

There's a psychological process involved when one is on the defensive, as opposed to the offensive. Those defending have more at stake than the aggressor. Our own Civil War is a case in point. While the south lost, still, they carried on in spite of unfavorable odds. Then there's Afganistan's example of never being conquered.

However, the difference between Vietnam and a Middle Eastern war is terrain. The Vietcong had the jungle as cover, where there's hardly a place to hide in the desert.