I found the following letter on a Biker Site....I think it says it all.....
The following perspective was written By Lt Col (Ret) Dr. Tony Kern,
former Director of Military History at the Air Force Academy.
September 14,
2001
Dear friends and fellow Americans, 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
