 |
Clipmarks | Vietnam Clips
How to win wars against guerillas
clipped by: oscarrob
clippers remarks: If we were smart, this is how we would prosecute our war in Iraq and Afghanistan with all our troops. This is the only way that a guerrilla war can be won. Guerrilla wars, which is what these are, are won by winning the hearts and minds of the population. Mao proved it, Vietnam proved it, and it is being proved in Afghanistan and Iraq. Why we dont recognize it, except sporadically as a "risky strategy," is beyond me.
Its an intimate style of warfare and, for the Americans, a brutal one. They go weeks without showers or decent food. They live every day exposed to enemy fire, and it has cost them dearly. Over the past year, 1-32 has lost 19 men, almost half of the deaths in the entire 5,000-man brigade.
The Americans and their Afghan National Army allies live among the people on the valley floor, while the insurgents -- Taliban, al Qaeda and other fighters of various stripes -- are up in the steep, rocky ridges. When the insurgents attack, they fire down on American soldiers and Afghan civilians alike. "The semiotics of it are great," says Lt. Col. Chris Cavoli, commander of 1-32, a unit of the 10th Mountain Division. "You cant buy press like that. The way the fight is constructed is to deliver one message: Were here to protect you, and the bad guys are here to ruin your lives."
Zum Artikel
Dies ist eine automatisch generierte E-Mail. Bitte antworten Sie nicht auf diese E-Mail.
Wenn Sie Feedback an RSS 2 E-MAIL senden wollen, nutzen Sie bitte das Feedback Forumlar
Wenn Sie sich von RSS 2 E-MAIL abmelden wollen, gehen Sie bitte auf den Menüpunkt "Meine Einstellungen" auf http://www.rss2email.de
Ihr RSS 2 E-Mail Team
http://www.rss2email.de
