Victory is easy, control is not. 

Like the United States was compelled to learn in that "Graveyard of Empires" Afghanistan, we can kill, marginalize, liquidate, assassinate, or murder the #1 "Bad Guy" only to find out there are countless #2s all too willing to step into his shoes. 

And even given a sure military victory, unless we want to commit and sacrifice billions of dollars and thousands of American lives with a long-term occupation force, we still have to find somebody local we can deal with. 

We need to admit it:  as kingmakers and nation builders, the United States has been woefully lacking of late - unless one regards the present day Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Syria, and Cuba as "limited successes."

I will concede that we made out quite well after the war with Mexico and maybe, just possibly, with Spain.  At least we knew to get out of the Philippines while the getting was good.