Actually, Rome represented a relatively mild occupation.
Roman strategy was to ROMANIZE occupied people - to ASSIMIALTE them into the army and social structure. WHich is why Rome survived so long. It started to collapse after the Emperor Theodosius who permitted barbarians to settle in the Empire and serve in the army in their won tribal units and under their own tribal chiefs.
In the past, non-Romans were recruited as auxiliaries, posted to another part of the empire than their homeland, and served under Roman officers. After 25 years, they were discharged with citizenship papers and given an alotment of land.
Rome provided one of the largest secure market economies in history. Merhcants could travel the entire stretch of the empire and be relatively safe from attack by marauders.
Prior "Empires" were nationalized states and the only way you could participate as a member of the ruling class was if you were an ethnic part of the ruling class. Such was not the case with Rome.
The Romans succeeded as long as they required ASSIMILATION of conquered people and their ROMANIZATION, and they were provided with citizenship and equal or nearly equal rights.
They suceeded as long as they were able to totally detroy any opposing military force, or defeat and ASSIMILATE them.
Contributary factors to Rome's collapse was the lack of clear succession, civil wars over the throne which resulted, and simultaneous attacks on all her borders.
In our war with Islam, anyone who aids and abets the enemy is the enemy - regardless of "civlian" status. Technically, the terrorists are civilians - they don't belong to any military establishment.
I think we shouldn't be "nation-building" in Iraq. Its main use to us should be as a military platform to take out Syria and Iran. What the Iraqis themselves choose to do shouldn't really concern us as long they are not interfering with our military objectives.
Once we take out Syria and Iran, we should be out of there and not go back unless they threaten us with another terror state.
We will never change the thinking of these people. They can only change that themselves, and as long as they are Muslims that thinking will prevail.
Rome had dangling chads? Who knew???