An ideology instead of a military strategy

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Kobrin, Steve" <KobrinS () wharton upenn edu>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 09:01:50 -0500
To: "'dave () farber net'" <dave () farber net>
Subject: An ideology instead of a military strategy

A colleague of mine attending a conference on North Korea was told of a
conversation with an Administration official who said something to the
effect of "you do not need regional specialists when you have an ideology."
That appears to apply to military strategy as well.  A front page article in
today's Philadelphia Inquirer argues that Rumsfeld overrode both the
military and CIA arguing that only a light and very mobile invasion force
was necessary to overcome what was assumed to be only the most limited Iraqi
resistance, or even better, open rebellion against Saddam.   His information
came from the Iraqi exiles who have their own axe to grind.

This is clearly a "faith based" administration: all that matters are
ideologies and belief systems -- whether the issue is reducing taxes or war.
The article is worth reading.  One of the few I have seen to date in a
mainstream American paper that is this forthright.

Risks of Iraqi war emerging
Some officials warn of a mismatch between strategy and force size.
By Joseph L. Galloway
Inquirer Washington Burea
    
WASHINGTON - Five days into the war, the optimistic assumptions of the
Pentagon's civilian war planners have yet to be realized, the risks of the
campaign are becoming increasingly apparent, and some current and retired
military officials are warning that there may be a mismatch between
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld's strategy and the force he has sent
to carry it out.


http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5473652.htm

Steve Kobrin


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