Changing face of war
Reader comment on item: War's New Face

Submitted by Chip Switzer (United States), Apr 16, 2003 at 17:28

One could certainly see the changes due to our overwhelming superiority. After Afghanistan, the French media referred to the US as a "hyper power". I was involved in Gulf1 and that was a catharsis of sorts for the public and the military. "No more mister nice guy" was the military catharsis -- we would no longer be filing flight plans for our bombing raids and employing "bombing pauses". War was now an all out effort of overwhelming violence.

However, in Gulf2, we had come to the point where we didn't even need to use so much violence. The pendulum has swung back toward the center. We now willing bring political goals back to the forefront. We don't shoot back at the mosque that is serving as a stronghold for the enemy -- a direct violation of the "Powell Doctrine". We put our own troops in more jeopardy in order to further these political goals. I'm as hawkish as anyone and even I accept this trade-off.

This wasn't really a war. It was more of a hostage situation.

Keep up the good work,
Chip

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