Posted on 12/29/2005 2:34:16 PM PST by KingofZion
It's not uncommon these days to hear talk of "lessons" learned in Vietnam and their application to current U.S. conflicts. Unfortunately, most observers have ignored the uniqueness of the Vietnam War, picking and choosing the lessons learned there with little regard for their application to the present. This is particularly true with the current buzz over the "clear and hold" concept, which has gained popularity in some circles. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invoked it during Senate testimony in October, and columnist David Ignatius reported in his Nov. 4 op-ed that many Army officers are reading historian Lewis Sorley's book "A Better War," which argues that the United States could have prevailed in Vietnam if the military had used Gen. Creighton Abrams's ideas earlier in the war. This simplistic notion may resonate in Washington, but it means little to troops on the ground. Marines in Fallujah or soldiers in Baghdad or near the Syrian border will tell you that they have been "clearing" areas for more than a year now, but "holding" them is a different matter. That takes a lot of troops, not small teams. So much for simple lessons from Vietnam. But for better or worse, Vietnam is the most recent example of American counterinsurgency -- and our longest -- so it would be a mistake to reject it because of its complex and controversial nature. Stripped to essentials, there are three basic lessons from the war. All must be employed by any counterinsurgency effort, no matter what shape it takes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
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Fleeing Vietnamese families settled in the Milpitas, California area in the 1970's, which later bacame known as part of America's Silicon Valley. Their children went to school there, college and then right into the ground floor of the Computer Revolution of America's burgeoning electronics industry. Which in turn brought about our computer based Economic Boom of the 1990's.
A young male Vietnamese-American became the Top Graduate of the West Point Military Academy years ago.
A young female Vietnamese-American became the Top Graduate of the Air Force Military Academy ..this year.
State Assemblyman VAN TRAN, the 1st Vietnamese-American to become a State Legislator in U.S. History, is now considering a run for Californa's State Senate.
Little Saigon in Central Orange County, California has become a shining example of how our system of American business can thrive under our shield of Freedom and Democracy.
...Starting from scratch.
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[We have heard too much about the Arab Street and too little about who controls the Arab Media.]
Correct. Just a simple five years ago, I assumed that we could waste or blackmail anyone in that part of the world who wasn't doing exactly what we pleased. This whole Al Jazeera nonsense going on 400 yards from US Army HQ in Qatar...what's that all about? Either the White House is more liberal than Clinton ever thought of being (Clinton would not allow the Belgrade TV station to exist)...or the White House has deliberately allowed Al Jazeera to do what it has been doing...as a black flag operation.
Agree 100%. Next stop, Iran.
I do find the complaints about the Dems amusing. I hate the left winger nuts more than most (after all I have to see them out working the streets of SF all year) but they are not to blame for the lack of progress in Iraq. Pentagon told White House to provide adequate resources for the occupation and was rebuffed by Rummy. Time for a change of leadership that is interested in winning the war as quickly as possible and getting people over to Iran to handle the next mission.
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