How Do You Define Victory In Today's Wars?

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Ty-Michael Maes, left, directs his fire team during a live-fire assault exercise with the Saudi marines as part of exercise Red Reef 15 in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 16, 2014. Maes is a team leader assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance detachment, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus

How Do You Successfully End Wars? Academics Seek An Answer -- Katie Nguyen, Reuters

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - What constitutes a military victory?

In the past, vanquishers might have planted a flag after the capture of a battlefield or capital, and held a victory parade.

But in the era of insurgencies and the "war on terror", victory is much harder to define, according to academics at the University of Glasgow, who have just begun researching the ethics of victory in war.

A case in point was former U.S. President George W. Bush's speech announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq in May 2003, said senior lecturer in politics at Glasgow, Cian O'Driscoll.

Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln at the time, Bush said the U.S.-led mission in Iraq continued but his appearance before a banner with "mission accomplished" emblazoned on it caused many to interpret Bush's remarks as victory cry.

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My Comment: I look forward to the results and conclusions from this study.