It is generally agreed upon among military strategists and theorists that you don't want to completely decapitate your enemy, since then there's no one there with whom you could negotiate a cease-fire / peace.
Our most ardent war hawks understood that.
Regards,
I know the argument. I just don’t buy it.
A decapitation strike gets rid of the Leadership that caused the problem, at least the top tier.
Both military and civilian government are hierarchies. You go down the list until you get to the ones which are still alive.