You attempt to personify the regime for propaganda purposes. It was used in Germany and Japan too. The emphasis may have been conveyed through the media, but the meat and potatoes was the Fedayeen, Republican Guard and the Baath Party. What was "Shock and Awe" against? All of those.
The main problem is this time we are not fighting a country we are fighting some people in the country. When war is with a country you can bomb and fight everyone, BUT this war is with 10% of the people and new people can join any time they chose.