Sunday, April 29, 2007

A Failure in Generalship

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

I received an email from one of my corresponding associates asking me to forward this rather intense article found in the Armed Forces Journal written by Lt. Col. Paul Yingling about the role of military leadership in the current problems the U.S. is experiencing with the insurgency in Iraq.

Although I was in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, I recognize that I have few qualifications to either support or dispute this article. So I leave it up to you.

When you get done with the article, you may have the same question as I have: if the military leadership had agreed with the precept of this article regarding modern warfare... and they were vocal about it... would the U.S. have committed to this war?
I'll pose just one other question: if the U.S. military was allowed to conduct the war effort as a military operation ... no holds barred... how long would it take to get rid of the insurgents?
Many of you may be too young to remember or know about the "rules of engagement" in Vietnam that contributed to the humiliating U.S. withdrawal. I suspect that there are far too many "rules of engagement" in play now in Iraq.

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