They had no big presence in Washington. The Empire could effectively strike at them. Now he knows better. Do that and you will be safe. India and Pakistan have learned that.
China knows it.
Milosovich didn't but he knows it now. Saddam Hussein knows it very well indeed. And we have taught entrepreneurs that to be really successful in the US you must have a strong Washington presence. It was an expensive lesson to learn. Not long ago Netscape was saying they would reduce Microsoft to a vendor of some buggy utilities.