It's been my understanding that we didn't have much of a choice in keeping the Saddamite government or it's military operational, intact, or even visible.

It had all largely melted away before we got there.

As another commenter has already pointed out Saddam was The Government, and with Saddam and his sons hiding in a spiderholes, followed by having his neck stretched and his sons turned into ground hamburger, who else had the authority to surrender?

Keegan, Cordesman, et al...

OLD
NEWS,
R