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» tattau - New War Tactics?

I'm wondering if this conflict reflects a new tactical policy for the U.S... Instead of sending in troops, and thereby putting our own in harm's way as we have in previous conflicts, our military uses superior air power to support and facilitate local insurgencies to implement the 'ground war' and ensue political tactics thereafter. It makes a lot of sense. We lower our own risks of human lives.
I wonder if Vietnam might have turned out differently; if we had pressed aggression from the skies, and 'paved the road' for South Vietnam to fight the battles on the ground.

-- posted by tattau

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» Jackson1776 - Re: New War Tactics?

In response to message posted by tattau:

Sorry it has taken so long to respond to the message.

You raise an interesting point. Whether or not Air Power and a proxy war can win out every time-is harder to say. What can be said is that the Air power seems to have worked twice now-in Kosovo and now in Afghanistan.

First I think that the use of superior Air Power is not new-certainly has been the case since the Gulf War if not all the way to Vietnam. But even in Vietnam it still was controlled by the political leadership. What I mean to say is that Johnson and Nixon both selected targets. (and the same goes for Clinton in Kosovo in 1999) In the current situation it would seem that the military has the go ahead to carry out its plan whatever way they see fit.

Would air bombing and letting the South Vietnamese fight for themselves returned a different outcome? Hard to say, but it is interesting to think about. In this new war on terrorism, by its nature, America will certainly be willing to risk soldiers to accomplish tasks. If not in this phase, in the next ones ahead.

It might be interesting to look at whether an air campaign and support for opposition in Iraq might be able to topple Saddam, keep the coalition together, while limiting the danger to coalition forces. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for taking the time to write. Feel free to keep on speculating.

-- posted by Jackson1776

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