Fw: OT A Military Historian Speaks on Tuesday's Events

[Lisa-Ann Cooner]

No: HPFGUIDX 26289

I have been abstaining from posting about the attack on America last week but when I received this, I had to pass it on.  We can not let these attacks tear down the American solidarity or make us fight amongst ourselves.  The only thing any American can to is persevere, remain strong, and have faith.  This letter did more than any news cast or article I have read toward explaining last Tuesday's events.

I don't want to start the discussions all over again, I know we are moving on, but I felt I had to pass this on so that it might explain to others the same things it did to me.

Lisa-Ann


----- Original Message ----- 
  
 From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
 
 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."
 
 
 Dear friends and fellow Americans                 14 September, 2001
 
 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 good ol' U.S. of A.
  
 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
 
 Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
 Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
 

  
 
 
 



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