Re: bayonettes are too a useful device

On Tue, 12 May 1998, Phillip E. Pournelle wrote:

>	In Somalia, where our troops were killed, the warlords used
large crowds
> to shield their armed men.  Adid planned to use the footage of
civillians
> killed on CNN against us.  The crowds knew what was going on and
wanted to
> help Adid.  Unfortunately, our administration does not understand that
kind
> of loyalty and so their underestimation left our troops vulnerable... 
Next
> time we do something like that, bring in the tanks and the MICVs!

In general, whenever troops are used to put up a military presence
somewhere where the local population doesn't appreciate it, things are
bound to get nasty sooner or later. If one wants to avoid that, one
should
consider it before sending in the troops. 

Somalia was, in this regard, IMHO a huge miscalculation.  

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