It's the old "Wag the Dog" scenario (Larry Beinhart) where presidents create wars to give them more power. Remember that the Chief Executive isn't as important as The Commander-in-Chief.

Both Obama and Bush are war-mongers. They both pursue(d) needless wars to satiate
the anger of reactionaries in the US many of whom were pissed because of the retreat from Vietnam.

Unfortunately for the US as hard as the Administration tries, the "mission" that was conceived was unworkable. Countless innocent lives have been sacrificed to this madness.