[invader]

However, to be fair, Desert Storm hasn't resulted in regime change. The Coalition bombed the shit out of the Iraqi army, but never committed to the ground operation deep inside Iraq. And Saddam's regime survived until the next war.

That alone hints that it is very hard to bring a dictatorship down with just aerial attacks - the ground component is also essential. Something tells me it is going to be the same here.

Only a land operation or a total collapse of the government, with the armed police and military joining the opposition, can topple the Iranian regime.

[datsci_est_2015]

> That alone hints that it is very hard to bring a dictatorship down with just aerial attacks.

This has been painfully obvious since aerial bombing became possible, but we’ve had so many generals and executives obsessed with the concept that it continues to be a core doctrine, like Kissinger and Curtis LeMay, neither of for whom I have anything but deep contempt.

[platinumrad]

Was Saddam's Iraq (post Desert Storm when he no longer had the ability to wage offensive war) really that bad compared to what came after?

[marcosdumay]

For a large share of the population, yes, by a huge margin. For an even larger share, no, by a large margin.

Both regimes were deeply racist.

Anyway, I don't think that information entered on the US decision making in any way.

[Marsymars]

You mean immediately post Desert Storm when this happened? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Iraqi_uprisings

[AbstractH24]

Counterexanple would be Venezuela

[djeastm]

Are you sure? They removed one guy they didn't like but the regime remains.

[Braxton1980]

What was the regime change there? The vice president is in charge.