This was written by an academic advisor at the Air Force
Academy. He was not only one of the most brilliant men his student (who
passed this letter along to the net) ever met, but also an individual who
combined that brilliance with common sense to lead others. The historian's
words are ones that haven't been heard yet but those which his student
believes will come to be true before we have the chance to recover from
this initial tragedy. ___
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." Please share it if you feel so
moved.
9-14-1
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--better said anxious -- 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 USA.
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 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 -- 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
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