[Austin-ghetto-list] lessons from the Soviet Afghani conflict

[telebob x]

I know I am getting to be a post a holic mess...stop me before I post 
again...

Tele

PS- As far as I can tell, the US does not want to control Afghanistan in any 
way...they just want Bin Laden and they want the country to cease being a 
staging area or support area for terrorists...I suspect this is what they 
are going to ask or demand of a number of other countries...US is going to 
extract their pound of flesh from those who are uncooperative...I 
suspect....

Whether USA has the stomach for an extended campaign to root this stuff out 
remains to be seen.

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Lessons learned

         Modern, mechanized forces are still in peril when committed to 
fight guerrillas in the middle of a civil war on rugged terrain. The 
Soviet-Afghanistan war demonstrated that:



A guerrilla war is not a war of technology versus peasantry. Rather, it is a 
contest of endurance and national will. The side with the greatest moral 
commitment (ideological, religious or patriotic) will hold the ground at the 
end of the conflict. Battlefield victory can be almost irrelevant, since 
victory is often determined by morale, obstinacy and survival.

Secure logistics and secure lines of communication are essential for the 
guerrilla and non-guerrilla force. Security missions, however, can tie up 
most of a conventional force.


Weapons systems, field gear, communications equipment and transport which 
are designed for conventional war will often work less effectively or fail 
completely on rugged terrain.


Tactics for conventional war will not work against guerrillas. Forces need 
to be reequipped, restructured and retrained for fighting guerrillas or for 
fighting as guerrillas. The most effective combatants are light infantry.

Tanks have a limited utility for the counter-guerrilla force, but can serve 
as an effective reserve on the right terrain. Infantry fighting vehicles and 
helicopters can play an important role in mobility and fire support. 
Mechanized forces usually fight effectively only when dismounted and when 
using their carriers for support or as a maneuver reserve. Ample engineer 
troops are essential for both side.


Field sanitation, immunization and preventive medicine are of paramount 
importance in less-than-optimal sanitary conditions. Immediate medical 
support to wounded combatants is often hard to provide.


Journalists and television cameramen are key players in guerrilla warfare. 
The successful struggle can be effectively aided when championed by a 
significant portion of the world's press.


Logistics determines the scope of activity and size of force either side can 
field.


Unity of command is very important, yet sometimes impossible to achieve.


Domination of the air is irrelevant unless airpower can be precisely 
targetted. Seizure of terrain can be advantageous, but is usually only of 
temporary value. Control of the cities can be a plus, but can also prove a 
detriment. Support of the population is essential for the winning side.

And in the end:
         According to General Nawroz, the Afghan-Soviet War was a rare 
confrontation in history as it helped trigger the collapse of the greatest 
empire of modern times. Lessons learned from this conflict were gathered by 
both sides. Whatever else these lessons may show, the most fundamental of 
them is that no army, however sophisticated, well trained, materially rich, 
numerically overwhelming and ruthless, can succeed on the battlefield if it 
is not psychologically fit and motivated for the fight. The force, however 
destitute in material advantages and numbers, which can rely on the moral 
qualities of a strong faith, stubborn determination, individualism and 
unending patience will always be the winner. These may not be the optimum 
qualities always found in the armies of western democracies.



telebob@hotmail.com
00 506 224 4858 Costa Rica
512 440 1862 Austin, TX


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