How To Lose a War: Vietnam and the Mideast

How To Lose a War: Vietnam and Terror Vietnam Over-reliance on air power while micromanaging the air campaign from the White House Fight with one hand tied beyond your back Tolerate a safe haven and supply lines (The Ho Chi Ming Trail in Laos and Cambodia) for the enemy during much of the war Over reliance on technology. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara faith in electronic surveillance to detect Viet Cong and NVA movements Prop up and rely on ineffectual national leaders Watch the ineffectual national leaders politically purge the military Tolerate a culture of corruption Fail to supply the fighting units- leave the Arvan troops out to dry Rely on the unproven and untrustworthy Vietnamization of the war Fail to understand the people you are fighting for Underestimate the will and capability of the North Vietnamese Fail to understand the desire for a unified Vietnam Measure success by body count Declare victory and totally pull out while the enemy is gaining strength. The Case-Church Amendment on June 4, 1973 forbad the renewal of bombing North Vietnam. Congress in 1976 cut off all funding for the South Vietnam Army The War on Terror Over-reliance on air power while micro, micromanaging the air campaign from the White House with no forward observers Fly a minimal number of air sorties daily while pilots haplessly watch enemies get away while awaiting permission to strike Over-reliance on technology – planes and drones do not supply intelligence on the ground Unilaterally declare victory and evacuate while the opponents are still fighting Don’t understand the war. It is not two separate wars, Afghanistan and Iraq, but one unitary War Against Terror, which encompasses Afghanistan and the Mideast. The borders are fluids; the Islamic terrorists highly mobile with the War spreading to Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. The real war on terrorism is a long term, continuous war on many fronts. Send in the lawyers. Our War on Terror is the most lawyered war we fought. We had the chance to take out Mullah Omar at the beginning of the Afghanistan campaign, but a lawyer vetoed it. Lawyers micromanage battlefields. They approve or veto air strikes. Lawyers fight with briefs and writs. Terrorist fight with guns, IED’s, and suicide bombers Fight with both hands and feet tied behind your back. Don't bomb ISIS' 7 headquarters buildings in Raqqa for fear of injuring civilians. Fire the generals who know how to win (Petreaus and McChrystal) Watch the ineffectual national leaders politically and religiously purge the military Rely on the unproven and untrustworthy Iraqization of the war Fail to understand the people you are fighting for Underestimate the will and capabilities of ISIS Fail to understand the desire for a unified Caliphate Draw a line in the sand you do not intend to enforce Don’t bomb and destroy the captured United States military equipment supplied to the government – Let ISIS blow them up as suicide bombs Fail to supply the fighting units (Kurds, etc.) – instead send the munitions and supplies through the incompetent and corrupt Baghdad government Watch units flee when they run out of ammo Leave the Kurds and Iraqi army troops out to dry Measure success by respect Indecisive, weak, pig headed White House leadership