It looks obvious

When I was a soldier, and than an officer, one of the first things I was told is that any military unit has to do its best to complete its mission in light of the goal it aimed to achieve. In other words, the task or mission has to be examined all the time if its helping achieving the goals of the greater formation. It become more complicated, and much more crucial, at the campaign level where the operational commander defining the operation goals based on the strategic plans and goals that are much less defined or obvious (for many justified reasons). Great examples can be seen in the goals defined by General Schwarzkopf for the desert storm campaign, and how they derived from his understanding of the political outcome of the operation. 

One have to wonder than what was the reason for General Patraeus answer, when asked if the current strategy making America safer. 

It seems to me safe to assume that General Patraeus has more than basic understanding that his mission has to serve a strategic goal. I am more than certain that he did sort it out in his mind, and defined the operational goals in his mind. But I also believe him that he did not define those goals to achieve "more security to America". Achieving some sort of success in Iraq, god know what kind, become a strategic goal by itself.

In other words, the game become a goal by itself and in many ways lost the vital contact with protecting America’s national security.