[mytddu]

> The invasions initial execution was beautiful (first few days)

The initial "Shock and Awe" campaign in Baghdad killed an estimated 6,600+ civilians. [1]

It's stated purpose was to "impose this overwhelming level of Shock and Awe against an adversary on an immediate or sufficiently timely basis to paralyze its will to carry on ... [to] seize control of the environment and paralyze or so overload an adversary's perceptions and understanding of events that the enemy would be incapable of resistance at the tactical and strategic levels."

That is to say, it was terrorism. And what's even more disgusting is that Americans watched it on TV like fireworks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe#Casualties

[douche]

That is an impressively small civilian death toll for a bombing campaign that entirely gutted the defense capabilities of a regional power.

That's basically a textbook example of how to surgically destroy your enemy's warmaking capabilities with the least loss of noncombatant life.

[webXL]

Please don't redefine terrorism. Terrorists don't give fair warning. Terrorists don't primarily target military installations. Terrorists don't accept surrender. As abhorrent and terrifying as war is, nothing can excuse the deliberate targeting of civilians. Yeah, it was disgusting, but the whole world watched because the whole world's media decided to broadcast it. Without the terror of Saddam's reign coupled with the "shock and awe" of 9/11, none of this would have ever happened.

[ttepasse]

The first instance of the word terrorism was the terror of a democratically legitimated state against civilians. Its own in this case: I'm speaking of the Reign of Terror of the french revolutionary state. Since then the word terrorism was somewhat redefined. But of course not everywhere. Even you describe Hussein's actions as terror in your post.

I think it's acceptable to describe as terror that thing which kills you, wether you are someone in Bagdad 2003 who is too poor to flee to Jordan, wether you are a victim of ISIL or if you are a 16 year old male shepherd in Waziristan where there is a full legal procedure which in the end lawfully decides to kill you because you're you.