The battle against Iraq's military was indeed a cakewalk. (U.S. officers were relieving themselves in the bathrooms of Saddam's palaces within a couple weeks after the war broke out). No one said attempting to police tens of millions of Islamics of various sects who've been hostile to each other for centuries in the war's aftermath was going to be easy.
Many folks seem to have a tough time distinguishing between the war and the post-war police action.
The NYT said that after we defeated Germany in WWII we lost the war because of all the strife afterwards ....
When will they ever learn, When will they ever learn ......
(seems there's a tune in there somewhere)