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OPINION Injured Nations Seek an Enemy for their Confusion
Thursday, September 27, 2001
By Adrian D'Hagé
Brigadier Adrian D'Hagé headed the planning for defence security for the Olympics and was awarded the Military Cross for service in Vietnam.

Experienced military eyes see the US preparing to fight a war it doesn't understand and cannot win

The United States is at war. Australia is also at war, though it may not seem like it among the grand finals and spring weather. Four out of five Australians are solidly behind the Prime Minister's declaration of support for the US. In the meantime, the signals from Washington are on the one hand confusing and on the other unequivocal.

On Wednesday, the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, declared there would be no marked beginning, no massive strikes. Why, then, are there four carrier groups, complete with destroyer and submarine escorts, massing in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf? Is this designed to frighten the Taliban into submission? If so, it is unlikely to succeed. Or was it designed for domestic consumption?

The understandable need is to do something. In reality there is caution. There has been a realisation within the Pentagon that this nut will not be easy to crack. Air strikes will not succeed unless they are directed against specific targets by Special Forces.

They are there already: outstanding young men, superbly trained, silently observing. The mountain goats will be grateful for that. But if there are 300,000 fanatics participating in a jihad entitling them to a passport to heaven, it will take much more than Special Forces. And in another few weeks, the dust storms will be replaced by driving snow. At least the land mines will be covered.
(More: smh.com.au News Source)
Copyright The Sidney Morning Herald © 2001. All rights reserved.

Dan