Re: [Marxism] Re: Iraqi fighters grope for battle strategy that will winbi

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Lueko Willms wrote:
>

> DM> Is it not legitimate military strategy to attempt to stop the Iraqi
> army from cohering in the first place?
>
>    Sure it is.
>
>    But that does not necessarily mean that it is a wise tactic to kill
> everybody who might consider joining that force.

(I agree with Lou that the anti-war movement ought not to become
involved in judging this issue: u.s. troops out of Iraq regardless of
what is or isn't happening there.)

The practice established in China in the 1930s was to free POWs, who
then became centers of unwillingness to fight among other troops. But
that tactic is not available to a resistance without a liberated zone
and at least semi-regular forces. And we don't know (probably never will
know) the exact context of any given act of the resistance forces. Even
in China there were independent guerilla groups (not under PLA
discipline) who acted on their own -- see Jack Belden, _China Shakes the
World_.

Carrol


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