This was inevitable. Better to let it happen now than continue to waste resources on a hopeless conflict.

A great example of the failure of modern war. The inability of the military to effectively execute total war because of public palatability leads to these outcomes - zombie wars that can never be won, because no one has the stomach to do/say what actually needs to be done.

It's hard not to think about the military industrial complex in all of this - a long term war wasting millions on equipment, supplies, energy, with relatively minimal cost to lives compared to total war, is an ideal money maker.