It is callous to say the number of deaths was insignificant, but in comparison to say the invasion of one of the Pacific Islands, that is true. Deaths as a measure of success or failure is not really meaningful.
Both wars were successful in that the enemy was eliminated.
What has happened since is the result of internal conflict prety much submerged by the eliminated enemy. Since the process is ongoing, it is not meaningful to analyze the current stage as failure.
The analysis also fails to recognize that the primary enemy to America and the region is Iran. Iran is being contained. The events in the Tigress Euphrates vlley are not good for Iran.
“Iran is being contained.”
Uh, our invasion of Iraq created a bosom-buddy ally to Iran right next door. Iraq used to be Iran’s enemy. We overthrew the gov’t of Iraq that was Iran’s enemy and installed a shiite-dominated government run by people who lived in Iran, as Iran’s guests, when Saddam ruled Iraq. So now, Iran and the gov’t of Iraq - the gov’t we put in - are strong allies.