Cap the Knife!!
As extracted from "The Reader's Companion to Military History" and the article by Michael L. Handal:
The Weinberger Doctrine. Casper Weinberger. Secretary of Defense during the administration of President Reagan.
"The Weinberger Doctrine was a list of points governing when the United States could commit troops in military engagements. ... The Weinberger doctrine: The United States should not commit forces to combat unless the vital national interests of the United States or its allies are involved."
The Six Criteria of the Weinberger Doctrine From Vietnam to Bosnia.
1. "Vital U.S. interests involved."
2. "Commitment to victory."
3. "Clearly defined political and military objectives."
4. "Continual reassessment of troop/objective ratio and of costs."
5. "U.S. government mobilized people opinion before action."
6. "Intervention/war was last resort."
As to American wars [or interventions] from Vietnam onward to include: *Vietnam * Grenada * Lebanon * Central America * Panama * Gulf War I * Somalia *Bosnia.
Vietnam NO to all six criteria military invention nonetheless occurring. The outcome a loss.
Gulf War I a YES to all but criteria # 6, troop intervention still a YES the outcome a win.
As for Afghanistan and Gulf War II, the Iraqi counter-insurgency and the intervention against the Islamic State the devoted reader to the blog can draw his own conclusions.
coolbert.