Trite argument, but everybody this side of the internet should know that if the Americans or any well-financed power went in with no moral limits, they could easily conquer any shithole country and mitigate 100% of guerilla resistance very easily. You can treat a nation like prisoners with tracking bracelets and kill anyone who refuses to comply. Once they can't provide aid to terrorists hiding in the caves without basically executing themselves, the terrorists are starved out. Hell, you could just kill all the civilians all in the first place. "Woah! The underdog clutched a victory!" sucks when the only reason they didn't get instant curb stomped is people holding themselves back. Talichads and Vietkongs didn't get a real fight.