The Boston Globe carries a thought-provoking article by historian Andrew Bacevich on the “Islamist way of war,” as witnessed in Lebanon and Iraq — a sophisticated blend of terrorism, guerrilla warfare, assassinations, and social action and propaganda that he argues should occasion a rethinking of Western military strategy.
Although what he calls the Islamist “resistance” strategy can’t threaten our nation’s existence, it can “prevent conventional armies from achieving decisive results.”
He goes on: “Resistance is a strategy not of conquest but of denial. Wars undertaken with the expectation that they will be short and conclusive — on the model of the Six Day War or Operation Desert Storm — instead become open-ended and inchoate. Politically, the Islamist way of war is demonstrating that the West can no longer impose its will on the Middle East.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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13 Comments
So they are using the same tactics that is taught in the School of the Americas. You’d think our military wouldn’t be surprised that the tactics that we teach, and the tactics that have been used for generations, would be anything new.
It’s only new to an administration that dreams of major military conflicts that can justify trillions of dollars in wasteful military expenditures.
The smart politicians tried to tell America that terrorism is not a black and white issue.
But the repubs who dont like science, or facts, or even the structure of our constitution, had to break it down to the American Idol sheep in a GI JOE vs. Cobra fashion (cobra was the enemy in the cartoon for those not young in the 80s). Sadly I really do think that some of the higher ups in the Admin. knew it would not be an easy issue to deal with, but chose to simplify it to justify their own financial agendas in the Middle East.
Wake up America, and lets get this thing figured out before its too late.
Democratic Lawmakers Want DOD Changes
Tuesday September 5, 2006 1:16 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) - Leading Democratic lawmakers on Monday urged President Bush to consider changing the civilian leadership at the Pentagon, one week after Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warned against fascism and appeasement as he defended U.S. policies in Iraq.
Rumsfeld drew heavy criticism from Democrats after telling an American Legion convention in Salt Lake City that “it is apparent that many have still not learned history’s lessons.” In alluding to criticism aimed at Bush administration war policies, he used terms associated with the failure to stop Nazism in the 1930s.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6058378,00.html
So, in other words, the Dems heeded Rumsfeld warning, and start working to throw the fascists out, starting with Rummy himself, correct?
Roo Haa
You said it and it’s about time. That old fart is passing too much gas.
{ There’s a pun on 3 dollar-J-gas }
When “they” start playing the Nazi or Hitler Card, you know they’re in trouble.
Bushco PNACers will be setting-up phony so-called “terror” attacks on a Global bases to solidify his fear-mongering in different countries. The Mossad has come in handy about this in the past.
Note: It has started. Americans need convincing this phony thing is worldwide. { Global }
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-09-05-denmark-terror_x.htm
I see Ed. So to summarize, when we see evidence of terrorist activities anywhere in the world, it is actually evidence of a conspiracy to make it look that way???
Sorry, I don’t buy that.
What ever happened to the “orange alert! orange alert!”
No elections lately . . .
When entire populations have absolutly nothing, and nothing to loose, what is it we are supposed to be winning from them?Their hearts and minds?What a joke.These people have been living in a wasteland for so long that the only way to win would be to actually help improve their situation.We’re not about to do that because the idealogoues have labeled them all as terrorists.
Resistence movements have always operated this way. Go back to WW2 and look at the tactics used by the french, Polish and Jewish undergrounds against the Germans.
a sophisticated blend of terrorism, guerrilla warfare, assassinations, and social action and propaganda that he argues should occasion a rethinking of Western military strategy.
Randy Randy Randy,Go back to school and study the American Revolution and you will be quite surprised as how our forefathers employed the same tactics! This thread should be retitled:”How Islamists fight like 18th Century Americans.”
They say that generals always fight the previous war. Seems to still be true. Wouldn’t it be good to be a step ahead of our enemies instead of a step behind?