posted September 28, 2001 01:36 PM            

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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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Ed. for minor shit

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I've been thinking for a while that the United States Empire is mirroring the history of the Roman Empire, and it seems we've been sacked by the Gauls. --SunAvatar

posted September 30, 2001 06:13 AM            

I also thought as I was writing my feelings down that we are already loosing this war because of our biggoted and hateful approach not only to the world, but to our own!

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What kind of cerial was that again?

posted October 01, 2001 08:51 AM            

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An Open Letter to the President

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC
September 13, 2001

Dear Mr. President:

I am a former Marine Corps sergeant who served his country well and was honorably discharged in 1970. I have never written such a letter before and I hope that it will somehow reach you through the bureaucratic filters.

Like every other American, I was appalled by the death and
destruction we witnessed September 11. We have suffered a horrible attack and far too many of us have suffered and died. Saddened and sickened by the carnage, I know you too are suffering with the victims and their families. I can feel your anger and frustration as well as your desire for active retaliation. I understand it well. It is a natural and justifiable reaction to such a heinous criminal act.

And yet I would counsel you to proceed carefully. A mistake
on our part could easily widen the spiral of violence.

Mr. President, you now have an historic opportunity to prove that the United States is more than just an economic and military power to be feared. You can show the world that the United States is also a civilized country that can be trusted to follow the law, guided by wisdom and compassion.

I urge you to use all legal means at your disposal to determine who perpetrated this horrible crime and to bring them to trial before the appropriate court. Let them indeed find the justice the world awaits and needs.

But I beg you, let not one more innocent life-American, Israeli, Palestinian, Afghan or any other-be lost. Too often our
weapons have taken the lives of innocents. The military euphemism is "collateral damage," but in reality it is manslaughter if not outright murder. What right can we claim that allows us to take more innocent lives? Is that not also a form of terrorism? Should we lower ourselves to the level of those who attacked the World Trade Center or should we stand tall?

You have chosen to describe this as an act of evil. I fear using such language will only inflame the situation and incite a
lynch mob mentality. What we need is compassion and the cool reason to reach our true goals: peace, prosperity, and democracy for all peoples. Lead us, Mr. President, with dignity and wisdom. Do not pander to the primitive parts of our beings. Show the world that you are a leader with the strength and courage to seek understanding and restorative justice, just as Nelson Mandela did in South Africa.

Rather than characterizing the attack as an act of evil, I
see it as a terrible last act of people who believed they had no
other way to make themselves heard. It is critical that we see not only their willingness to use atrocious violence, but that we
recognize the desperation which drove them to sacrifice others-and themselves.

As a former Marine, I know what it means to be willing to
sacrifice one's life for a cause one truly believes in. While I see
these people as horribly misguided, hate-filled and desperate, I do not believe they are cowardly or evil.

If they see themselves as Davids fighting against a Goliath
out to destroy their way of life, we certainly need not agree. But we must understand them if we ever hope to achieve a lasting peace and avoid a world locked down and bereft of the rights and freedoms we cherish.

Months ago, we saw magazine pictures of a Palestinian child
cradled in the arms of his father. Innocently caught in a gun battle, the child died from bullet wounds and the father could not move to save him. As a father yourself, can you imagine the anguish as, pinned down and helpless, he felt the life ebb from his child? Such unbearable images and feelings drive people to the desperate measures we witnessed on September 11 in New York and Washington.

This moment of deep crisis is also a moment of immense opportunity. I urge you to move our world away from violence and suffering and towards peace, freedom, and abundance for all. Let voices of desperation be heard. Let the perpetrators have their day in court. Show them that we truly do believe in justice for all. Let us not make the mistake we did recently at Durban, but rather bring all voices to the table, even if they are screaming and telling the stories we do not want to hear.

We are truly a superpower, too used to talking and expecting
others to listen. Show the world that we are also strong enough to learn to listen. I pray that you will not rashly lash out in violence. May God give you the wisdom to find the opportunity for peace that lies in this horrible tragedy. I hope that historians will look back and applaud a greatness of spirit and cool sense of reason that moved our globalizing world closer to justice and democracy for all.

Respectfully,
Greg Nees

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