Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Just Like Vietnam

Sometimes I get frustrated that people will say something happening today in Iraq is just like Vietnam, while ignoring that they are simply describing a technique of counter-insurgency that is common to any counter-insurgency campaign. The fact that we did something in Vietnam and also do it in Iraq does not mean that Iraq is just like Vietnam.

That said, I've read in the past that we were setting up firebases near the Pakistan border region to help interdict Taliban and al Qaeda traffic crossing the border into Afghanistan. This is one result:

Pakistan admitted that, although they forbid it, they have tolerated American artillery in Afghanistan firing across the border at Taliban mortar and rocket teams, that were themselves firing across the border into Afghanistan. The Taliban also send teams across the border to attack American camps with AK-47s, RPGs and hand grenades. The survivors of these attacks then flee back across the border, and American artillery can often catch them on the trails.


In Vietnam, the enemy mistook isolated infantry companies dug in with an artillery battery as vulnerable targets. In fact, they were hard targets that could robustly defend themselves and call on nearby firebases and aircraft for support. The enemy lost many troops trying to take down these "vulnerable targets."

It looks like the Taliban are making the same mistake in Afghanistan. And with precision firepower and superior recon ability, we are likely hammering the enemy a lot harder as they flee.