Posted by Dan Ewert : 5/07/2002 12:28:00 AM (Archive Link)
Something that I think is odd is the complaint some have about one side being overpowering in a battle. For example, a self-designated human rights group said the Israelis may have committed the rights violation of “disproportionate use of force” in Jenin. Since when is it a violation of human rights for one side to use the full abilities it has at its command? It is the nature of warfare that each side seeks to destroy the enemy while preserving their own forces. Frankly, doing so results in less loss of life overall. Your own soldiers aren’t being killed and the enemy is demoralized to the point that they give up sooner than would otherwise be expected. A battle of two equals is one that rages on and on until sheer attrition forces victory one way or another. However, this is how some people would prefer war be waged. There is this romantic notion of a fair fight. War is about overpowering and defeating your enemy… you don’t strip your forces of their capabilities in order to that goal more difficult. That’s ludicrous. It reminds me of the old movie cliché in which the good guy throws down his gun and joins in fisticuffs with the bad guy. I always think about how… well… dumb that is. Only a fool gives up his advantage. In the movie case, the good guy is only risking his own safety. In the real world, a general is risking the lives of the soldiers he has been entrusted to lead and the civilian population he has been entrusted to protect. In a military operation, whatever force that is necessary should be used and should be used judiciously.