" If the insurgents hadn't fought the US would have left a hell of a long time ago."
In other words the invaded folks didn't do what would be convenient to the invaders so they could achieve their goals and go home asap? How surprising!
The insurgents fight the US because the US invaded their country and no one likes being invaded and having their friends and family killed/raped etc by trigger happy dumbasses.
They fight as an insurgency (vs as a formal army) because they are overmatched.
(Fwiw, The American War of Independence saw Americans use some "unfair tactics" (shooting as individuals from behind cover vs lining up in ranks and columns - essentially Indian fighting tactics) against the British who lined up "properly" in the open. I am sure the British just couldn't understand why Americans considered themselves "patriots" for refusing to roll over for continued British rule and why they didn't fight "properly" like gentlemen!.
If the Chinese (say) were to invade the USA tomorrow to "liberate" you from a political system they thought was inappropriate for you and they had an unbeatable advantage in firepower, I bet there would be a raging insurgency all over the United States and it would make sense to all Americans why this happened (though a few Chinese may be puzzled).
" Nobody can really believe the US wants to CONQUER Iraq in the sense that they want to stay there indefinitely for control."
Conquest does not necessarily equal "staying forever". Puppet governments who do what they are told would do very nicely too. Which is easier when you have the planes and tanks and drones and the rag tag "native" forces have AK 47s.
A steady drain of blood and treasure over many years for dubious gains eventually discourages the doughtiest invader. But to argue that the Americans aren't occupying Iraq is sophistry. It is an occupation(just ask any Iraqi or Afghan) and it is war. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
(This isn't to say that the insurgents are heroes. (Successful) Insurgents are nasty,ruthless dangerous people. That's how war works)
In other words the invaded folks didn't do what would be convenient to the invaders so they could achieve their goals and go home asap? How surprising!
The insurgents fight the US because the US invaded their country and no one likes being invaded and having their friends and family killed/raped etc by trigger happy dumbasses.
They fight as an insurgency (vs as a formal army) because they are overmatched.
(Fwiw, The American War of Independence saw Americans use some "unfair tactics" (shooting as individuals from behind cover vs lining up in ranks and columns - essentially Indian fighting tactics) against the British who lined up "properly" in the open. I am sure the British just couldn't understand why Americans considered themselves "patriots" for refusing to roll over for continued British rule and why they didn't fight "properly" like gentlemen!.
If the Chinese (say) were to invade the USA tomorrow to "liberate" you from a political system they thought was inappropriate for you and they had an unbeatable advantage in firepower, I bet there would be a raging insurgency all over the United States and it would make sense to all Americans why this happened (though a few Chinese may be puzzled).
" Nobody can really believe the US wants to CONQUER Iraq in the sense that they want to stay there indefinitely for control."
Conquest does not necessarily equal "staying forever". Puppet governments who do what they are told would do very nicely too. Which is easier when you have the planes and tanks and drones and the rag tag "native" forces have AK 47s.
A steady drain of blood and treasure over many years for dubious gains eventually discourages the doughtiest invader. But to argue that the Americans aren't occupying Iraq is sophistry. It is an occupation(just ask any Iraqi or Afghan) and it is war. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
(This isn't to say that the insurgents are heroes. (Successful) Insurgents are nasty,ruthless dangerous people. That's how war works)