[antimedia] antimedia: Truer now than when it was written....

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Posted by antimedia:
Truer now than when it was written....
http://www.antimedia.us/posts/1184034897.shtml


   ....[1]This seems more apropos now than ever before.

     Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens
     of military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have
     written an "open letter to Americans."
     14 September, 2001
     Dear friends and fellow Americans
     Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last
     week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling
     from surprise. As a career soldier and a student and teacher of
     military history, I have a different perspective and I think you
     should hear it.
     This war will be won or lost by the American citizens, not
     diplomats, politicians or soldiers. Let me briefly explain. In
     spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us,
     this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged
     fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of
     mistakes. This attack was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and
     dedicated adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire
     these men and I deplore their tactics, but I respect their
     capabilities. The many parallels that have been made with the
     Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it
     was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also
     because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30
     years after we think this war is over, just like my father's
     generation had to do with the formidable Japanese in the years
     following WW II.
     These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we
     must not underestimate the power of their moral commitment.
     Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and
     statesman, stated the moral is to the physical as three is to one.
     Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance and said
     moral conviction was five times more important in battle than
     physical strength. Our enemies are willing â better said anxious â
     to give their lives for their cause. How committed are we America?
     And for how long?
     In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent
     attack demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of
     warfare taught to most military officers worldwide, namely
     simplicity, security and surprise. When I first heard rumors that
     some of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College,
     it made perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence,
     and we can expect the same sort of military competence to be
     displayed in the battle to come. This war will escalate, with a
     good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
     These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us.
     We must not fear them.
     In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's
     only superpower (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this
     fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to
     prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is
     not equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be
     certain, our soldiers are much better than the enemy, and we have
     some excellent counter-terrorist organizations, but they are mostly
     trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the occasional
     body snatch, (which may come in handy). We will be fighting a war
     of annihilation, because if their early efforts are any indication,
     our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man. Eradicating
     the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already
     deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely
     living the lives of everyday citizens.
     Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy
     mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public must be
     patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked
     out. For the most part, our military is still in the process of
     redefining itself and is presided over by men and women who grew up
     with - and were promoted because they excelled in - Cold War
     doctrine, strategy and tactics. This will not be linear warfare,
     there will be no clear centers of gravity to strike with high
     technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will certainly be
     helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor
     for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves
     aboard the hijacked aircraft â this will be a knife fight, and it
     will be won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and
     soldiers, not by software or smart bombs. We must also be patient
     with our military leaders.
     Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us,
     our adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They
     plan to fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out
     until the American public loses its will to fight. This might be
     difficult to believe in this euphoric time of flag waving and
     patriotism, but it is generally acknowledged that America lacks the
     stomach for a long fight. We need only look as far back as Vietnam,
     when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military
     history teacher) defeated the United States of America without ever
     winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched to
     war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and
     spat upon less than three years later when they returned.
     Although we hope that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to
     understand and employ the concept. We can expect not only large
     doses of pain like the recent attacks, but also less audacious sand
     in the gears tactics, ranging from livestock infestations to
     attacks at water supplies and power distribution facilities. These
     attacks are designed to hit us in our comfort zone forcing the
     average American to pay more and play less and eventually eroding
     our resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me
     that the will of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center
     of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon
     which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft,
     impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must
     change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often
     quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that
     there is a remarkable trinity of war that is composed of the (1)
     will of the people, (2) the political leadership of the government,
     and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on the field of
     battle, in that order.
     Every American citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's
     attack, not just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the
     World Trade Center or Pentagon. The will of the American people
     will decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have
     what it takes to persevere through a few more hits, learn from our
     mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we will
     eventually prevail.
     Everyone I've talked to in the past few days has shared a common
     frustration, saying in one form or another, "I just wish I could do
     something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America,
     and continue to support your President and military, and the
     outcome is certain. If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally
     certain. God Bless America
     Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
     Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy

   Note that Dr. Kern stated "This war will be won or lost by the
   American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers."
   Something to think about.
   Tags: [2]war [3]terrorism [4]America [5]morality [6]courage

References

   1. http://www.snopes.com/rumors/tonykern.htm
   2. http://technorati.com/tag/war
   3. http://technorati.com/tag/terrorism
   4. http://technorati.com/tag/America
   5. http://technorati.com/tag/morality
   6. http://technorati.com/tag/courage