When is war a war?

Friday – March 25, 2011

When is war a war?

The President joined a multilateral force, the U.N., to enforce a no fly zone over Libya. The President didn’t go to Congress, but made the decision himself. Now the administration is saying that the military is engaged in a “kinetic military action.”

Technically, what is meant by the term kinetic is movement. There is movement and there is gunfire being exchanged. While the administration is moving the U.S. military towards a humanitarian rescue force, the coalition is now being fractured. The Germans, under Merkel of Germany, have all but pulled out and Sarkozy of France is the only member of NATO that wants to move against Qadaffi militarily. Sarkozy is not concerned about labeling the action kinetic. He is concerned about the oil.

The strategy of warfare has changed. The Super Powers cannot use their military might in conventional ways. New labels have been placed upon military actions and the restrictions have made all partners equal.

Secretary of State Clinton has been the spokes person for the action that has precipitated. She said yesterday that command and control would be turned over to NATO in a few days. She said that NATO will enforce the no fly zone. This is all fine and good, because there are no aircraft in the Libyan air force that pose any danger to any one anymore. But we are led to believe that the mission is a success, because of the turn over.

If you study the history of warfare, you will become knowledgeable on what war is. If you study the history of warfare, you will become familiar with the great battles and the great commanders. If you study the history of warfare, you will become aware that the great battles and the great wars were won by military genius and clear military goals.

We cannot let our military be a humanitarian military force. Today, there are new protests in Syria. Are we going to implant our military there, because of a humanitarian need? What are we to do with North Korea and China? Are we to commit our military there, because of a humanitarian need? The military is there for two reasons. It protects our strategic interest and it provides security to the citizens of this nation.

There is a new debate over the president’s commitment of the U.S. military to create a no fly zone in Libya by committing our military assets. There is debate over his lack of notification to Congress of his decision. Every president has in some way or another violated this Constitutional requirement. Every president has found a way around this requirement. As citizens, we need to remind our leaders that the Constitution is there for a reason. I don’t care if it is Obama, or Bush or Clinton or even Reagan. A president cannot violate the Constitution in this way. There is a danger of a president committing troops in a military operation that has no structure, no organized goals and not calling it by its proper title. Vice President Biden warned President Bush about not notifying Congress when we entered into war against Iraq. He said in 2007, if the president commits troops with out notifying Congress he would move to impeach. Where is the Vice President now, since his president violated the Constitutional authority that he spoke of in 2007? Where is the impeachment of his president?

Part of a president’s duty is to set an example. A president must lead with Constitutional authority and not false authority. A president must be a president to every citizen and he cannot pick winners and losers. A president must be cautious, but bold, in committing the military. A president cannot make up the rules on the fly, something that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates alluded to earlier in the week.

A president cannot be a contradiction to his own policy and he cannot be contradicted by those who serve under him. A president must lead to win and his objectives must be planned with that in mind.

A president cannot use the country’s assets in a way that make it personal, nor can his decisions be personal. A president must be knowledgeable of the military that he is the commander in chief of.

Many of our presidents came from a military background. Many came into office with the traditions that were learned in service and in war. Washington was a general who won our Revolution, Lincoln a Captain, Eisenhower a General of the Army in WW II, Kennedy a lieutenant, Truman was a Colonel and knew the importance of saving lives by making a military decision. Ulysses S. Grant was the General of the Union Army whose decisions saved the Union and defeated the Confederacy. There are more presidents that served in our military than haven’t. More presidents have been Colonels and Generals who have led men into battle, than haven’t led men at all.

Since Eisenhower, two presidents have not served in the military. They are Clinton and Obama. Both loathed the military and both dithered about using the military. Both have committed troops based on a humanitarian need - Clinton in Bosnia and Obama in Libya. Both suffered contradictions and both had very liberal beginnings.

Look back in history. Kennedy said: "A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." Both Clinton an Obama never had real private sector jobs! Both never had to make a payroll and both never had to suffer from a layoff, let alone lead men into battle.

One the greatest Military minds and greatest generals of all time, not only in American War history, but in the war history of the world, was General George S. Patton. I have done some research on him and found that he believed in one thing - he charged to where the sound of gun fire was.

I believe what he would tell our young president today, if he were alive and saw what the president is making the military into would be this, “The objective of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his." General George S. Patton

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: Look at who your presidents were, look at the military challenges they had and find out for yourself who won the battle, but lost the war!