Larry, as a military career man, you know that the every attempted occupation of non-Western countries since the Second World War has ended in failure. Even now, in Afghanistan, the West is not talking about victory---it says there is no military solution---and it's not talking about imposing democracy; maybe stabilization in a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. More troops and surges or bombs for that matter are no longer the answer. War has changed. Even Mr. Bush is getting it: his mantra of a war on terrorism has changed to "the long struggle." The notion the West can get what it wants by throwing its weight around hasn't much hold in Staff Colleges today.