WTC: A Historical Perspective ***A MUST READ**

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 Americans? 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 many, 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.

Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy

I say we don't wait for another attack of any kind, and destroy a dozen major cities in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan within the next week. Follow it up with carpet bombing using "Sun Burst" weapons of fire in their countrysides.

THAT'S what I say.

If Japan could deliver an Unconditional Surrender within days after their experience, so too can these scum.

Good piece.

But his analogy with Viet Nam is wrong. (I was draft age then, and supported the war.) No one in the United States was attacked then. In fact I'm not sure anyone here has been attacked since the War of 1812. (Southerners may properly dissent.) Also I don't remember any great bloodlust following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. I may be a minority still (Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the dogs of war. I'm talking nukes and not on Afghanistan.) but few that I get to talk to for more than a few minutes think I'm crazy.

All our military actions since Korea, or maybe even WWII, have required big propaganda efforts by the government. This one won't.

ML/NJ

I'm willing to bet the 'resolve' to stand and defend rests geographically along the same lines as the red and blue results of the past presidential election.
Did we have the resolve to put Clinton on the business end of a firing squad when he compromised or national security with Chinagate and Pardongate?

We may think that the Islamic Fundamentalists who indeed hate the United States are our most dangerous enemy, but the fact is that those red areas of the voting map are a much bigger problem. The faceless coward that Bush spoke of is nothing compared to the coward born here in our country who sold our technology and secrets like a whore to the highest bidder.

Don't give me that "blame everything on Clinton" bull. Eight years of rotting out the core of our Judicial system, National Security and Military, left a resplendent shell around a feeble putrid center; and the biggest fattest worm of them all is still sitting pretty.

'...but I noticed there were no specifics. What does he suggest we do?..."

Tut, tut, tut, Alberta's Child. You're not playing according to the rules of the New War in the New Millenium. Shame on you.

We do not know precisely WHO the enemy is. Only anti-American reactionaries concern themselves with such bothersome details. In any case we will "smoke them out of their holes"--whoever they may be and wherever their holes are located.

We do not know precisely WHAT the war is about. But we do not need to know because 90% of Americans are all for it--no matter what it is.

We do not know WHEN it will be over because the vast dimensions of eternity cannot be adequately described by a mere President--be he Abraham Lincoln or George W.Bush. Anyway since we know neither WHO nor WHAT who cares about WHEN?

WHERE? Merely EVERYWHERE, of course. As in the days of yore:

"We see him here,
We see him there
We Yankees see him everywhere...

Everywhere is a big place so stop muttering and get with the program.

WHY? Don't be absurd and traitorous.

And HOW, when eternity finally rears it's grizzled head, will we do whatever it is that is to be done to whomever it is who is our enemy wherever his hole is located?

Be patient...Be patient...Be patient...

I think there are a couple of points everyone must keep in the fore-front when they think about these terrorists...

1) They are on a 100 year plan. Americans cannot think past the next 48 hours. Major difference on how you look at your goals and sacrifices and what you are willing to achieve. For us we think like this when we plan for our children's children which rarely any of us do. So we really need to change how we plan and attack this major problem.

2) At the stage that these terrorists are at, their people are committed to this cause from the day they are born and their entire purpose is to die for their cause. All the while they are training to be effective, brutal killing machines. They are well trained and know how to deal with people both mentally and physically. How else could they exist in our communities for so long.

The sad truth is...the only way to stop this is a total and unmeasurable solution that completely eliminates the threat. It needs to be executed against our enemy with extreme prejudice! For those of you think that I am pulling something racist I am not...I am saying that whatever we do must be total and complete - the enemies of the free world must be left with no re-course. Because next time it will be 60,000 or 600,000 people killed. How many people does it take to get killed before every family is affected by these animals.

I personally know of many GOOD people that lost their lives on 9/11!

Personally, I'm glad the military is overseen by those who were promoted because they excelled.

I somehow doubt they are stuck in the Cold War. That would display apathy; not excellence.

Sounds to me like Dr. Tony Kern would like to be called as a consultant. Works for me!

We must all understand quite clearly (and that means making sure that our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers understand) that if we do not decisively stop these people, they will kill again . . . and again . . . and again . . . until they have killed ALL OF US. All the fancy-sounding words by the talking heads are superfluous -- let's get down to the basics.

It is either us or them. The question as to whether or not we will continue to have "the will to fight" is really nothing more than a question as to whether or not we will continue to have the will to live . . . for ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors.

"Eloquent statements by the gentleman, but I noticed there were no specifics. What does he suggest we do?"

He presumes those who are capable of reading, and contemplating his observations are equally capable of appreciating the personal safety measures each of us must put into place now.

How about falling back on the Boy Scout Motto, "Be Prepared".

Think and act as a Citizen of Israel; observe, observe, observe. Our community's ability to stop or mitigate a terrorist act will lie in our ability to be the alert eyes and ears of our local law enforcement.

If you are a parent, inform your teenagers of the real and potential threat to the safety of the community. Teach him and her about the abandonment of bags, brief cases; about the curious or unusual behavior of anyone; to report these observations to law enforcement in addition to the observation of anyone in an unusual place.

A 'business as usual' American Citizen - young or old - has become a liability; a threat equal to a terrorist accomplice. Failure to act on suspicious activity may result in the success of an act intended to bring death and injury.

Each of us MUST clearly understand one vital fact of life today: every inch of America became a war zone on 9/11.

I knew exactly what the author's point was, but as far as I am concerned the "specifics" you mentioned are a bit ridiculous. It makes no sense for each and every citizen to act as the "eyes and ears" of law enforcement if the nation is either unwilling or incapable of enforcing some of its most basic laws. How pathetic are we as a nation, if we must report suspicious behavior to the "proper authorities" while at the same time we have no confidence that these authorities know what the heck they are doing?

There is only one way this will work -- We all become "citizen soldiers" in this conflict, and we must have (and use) any power that phrase implies. If I see a "suspicious-looking" man in a train station or other public place with a strange-looking suitcase, I react as anyone should if they are threatened in a "war." Detain the guy, check him out, and if it is quickly determined that he is, in fact, a terrorist, then the threat is immediately eliminated and dumped into a manhole.

Islamic militants spewing anti-American rhetoric from a Mosque in Jersey City, New Jersey? They should be dealt with IMMEDIATELY, and disposed of in a similar manner. Why the f#ck hasn't Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman's mosque been burned to the ground yet?

The U.S. should NEVER become like Israel, because there is no issue here related to disputed territories. Most of these Islamic fundamentalists are from other places, and they live here as guests of the U.S. If this country doesn't have the b@lls to get rid of them, then my guess is that we simply look upon large-scale terrorist acts that occur every few years as nothing more than a cost of doing business. We'll build our memorials and invite Oprah to lead us all in hugs and tears and something that might be called "prayers," but God forbid we should ever do something effective.

Sorry, I just had to vent.

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