But Gerasimov and other Russian leaders were unconvinced. In Gerasimov’s view, Iraq was a textbook example of the “traditional” approach to war.15 The US had deployed well-trained and well-equipped conventional forces; initiated military operations against the enemy in set-piece battles; employed ground, air, and naval forces; and achieved the eventual destruction of the enemy.16 Gerasimov assessed the American justifications for Iraq and other military operations over the previous decade. They were different each time: “threat to peace and stability,” “genocide by the Belgrade authorities,”
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