Had the United States and the United Kingdom gone on alone to capture Baghdad, under the provisions of the Geneva and Hague conventions we would have been considered occupying powers and therefore would have been responsible for all the costs of maintaining or restoring government, education and other services for the people of Iraq.

The remark argues that, under the law of armed conflict (especially the Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions), a force that takes and controls territory becomes an “occupying power” and inherits extensive duties toward the civilian population—public order, basic services, and the functioning of civil life. Framed around the hypothetical capture of Baghdad by only the U.S. and U.K., it underscores that military victory carries legal and financial obligations, not merely strategic advantages. The quote is often read as a caution against underestimating postwar governance burdens and as a reminder that international law treats occupation as a regime of responsibility rather than a discretionary choice.