Military Power

Can the U.S. Win in Guerrilla Warfare? Why or Why not? Discussion highly encouraged.

I chose Other, mainly because I felt I needed to clarify the answer I was going to put (which was going to be NO). I think that the U.S. Military has the qualified personnel and equipment to do so, I just think that if the U.S. gets into what turns out to be a Guerrilla War, the politicians will do what they always have in the past when that happened, and succumb to the pressure of the population, and tuck tail and run, like we always have when Guerrilla Warfare was involved (i.e. Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo and now Iraq)

I say yes we CAN win. We have the resources necessary to win any kind of war. We have the equipment, manpower, military leadership and training needed to engage in any type of combat. Had you asked "Will" we win? My answer would be different.

First we are force to fight politically correct war. Beginning with the Korean Conflict actually an UN police action) political leaders issued directives to our military on how to fight the war. The end result is a stalemate that is still evident at the 38th parallel separating North and South Korea.

Militarily we won every battle in Vietnam. However, the media became of age and painted a bleak picture of the conflict. American believed what the saw and read and grew tired of the loss of life. Vietnam is now under the control of communism because of the media and politicians directing the war.

And finally one has to look no further than the war on terrorism currently taking place in Iraq. No doubt the impact the liberal politicians and media are having on the military success of the conflict.

I do not think we can win. If you look at history, it will tell you that it is IMPOSSIBLE to win a Guerilla war unless both sides compromise, both sides fight with guerilla tactics or a pull out of the invading side. It happened against the war with the famous Osceola and Vietnam and even the Revolutionary War (the British quickly came to realize that guerilla warfare is impossible to win). One thing that Guerilla's have is the will and ability to fight dirty and cowardly. Guerilla warfare = Terrorism...and terrorism is something that will ALWAYS be in the world, no matter what country, city, etc. I am not saying that being over the middle east is wrong, but a definate change in tactics needs to come into play or else we will see another Vietnam ending (which the U.S. can not afford).

Vietnam was not lost because of battlefield tactics but because Americans lost the will to fight due to the media and politicians dictating the fighting. If we are not careful the same will happen in Iraq. We are capable of using guerrilla tactics, but politicians keep us from using them. We cannot will a "politically correct" war but in my opinion we are capable of winning any type of conflict if the military are left alone to do the "fighting" and use all resources at its disposal to successfully complete its mission.

I'm going with no, one day, when they start to train to fight guerillas, or insurgents, then they might start to win the battles!


(My little addition )

I still say that U.S. military have the training, the equipment and the military leadership to win any type of conflict they face. The problem is. Politicians need to say off the battlefield and allow our military do what is necessary to win.

I say yes we can. We can win a fight playing by the rules even when the enemy fights dirty.

There will always be politicians, and protest to military action of any kind. We just shouldn't let that discourage us.

Fort Knox has what is the most advanced guerrilla warfare training facility in the world, and the only training center in the U.S. (at the time of the taping of the show I was watching on the History Channel (Fort Knox: The Secrets Revealed)) where Infantry and Armor can train together (assuming I understood that correctly).