`waltz' Crosses Emotional Landscape

1when Harry Met Coach, 
He Got Back His Future 
Meet Harry Barnes, First-year Student At Luzerne County Community College.

Thursday, February 10, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Military lessons of 80s say `Stay out of Bosnia' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Several American military operations in the 1980s and 90s shared a
remarkable trait: They were successful. The capture of Gen. Noriega in Panama,
the invasion of Grenada and the war against Iraq all accomplished their
military objectives at a price Americans were willing to payNot since World
War II had American military campaigns ended in such conclusive and satisfying
victories. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Would military action in Bosnia-Herzogovina be successful enough to join
that list? Or would that action be more likely to end not in victory, but in
frustration, stalemate or even retreat -- as did several other of our 80s and
90s campaigns, such as the interventions in Beirut and Somalia? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The answer is obvious. The reason is not, and that's the focus of this
editorial. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There's a reason why the prospect of intervening in Bosnia is so unsettling
to millions of Americans. The reason is that the prospect does not meet the
"Guidelines for Committing America's Armed Forces" spelled out by Caspar
Weinberger, President Reagan's defense secretary, in 1984 -- guidelines that
helped the American military recover its historic tradition of winning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Weinberger listed his guidelines in a speech to the National Press Club. He
put into words the philosophy that led military policy throughout most of the
Reagan and Bush years -- and that still guides the Pentagon today. (That's why
the "militaristic" generals on the Joint Chiefs of Staff sound downright
dove-like when they talk about Bosnia.) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Weinberger's guidelines are these: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 1. The United States should not commit forces to combat overseas unless the
particular engagement or occasion is deemed vital to our national interest or
that of our allies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 2. If we decide it is necessary to put combat troops into a given
situation, we should do so wholeheartedly, or with the clear intention of
winning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 3. If we do decide to commit forces to combat overseas, we should have
clearly defined political or military objectives. And we should know precisely
how our forces can accomplish those clearly defined objectives. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 4. The relationship between our objectives and the forces we have committed
-- their size, composition and disposition -- must be continually reassessed
and adjusted as necessary. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 5. Before the U.S. commits combat forces abroad, there must be some
reasonable assurance we will have the support of the American people and their
elected representatives in Congress. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 6. The commitment of U.S. forces to combat should be a last resort. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Look at that list again. In a nutshell, it declares that the intervention
should be in our interests, winnable, and have both a clear objective and
popular support. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's the recipe for military success. Those are the ingredients that will
give American forces victory on the battlefield in exchange for their risking
their lives. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And sadly, none of those ingredients are found in Bosnia. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No wonder Americans are skeptical. American military action in the Bosnian
civil war would have no clear objective, no clear prospect of victory, little
or muted public support and no obvious relation to our national interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Instead the goals would be as murky as those that convinced President
Reagan to step into Beirut. And we all know where that step ended up. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the past generation, America's military has relearned how to win wars
and avoid debacles such as Vietnam. Let's think hard before we commit American
forces in a way that violates those lessons.

Military Lessons Of 80s 
Say `stay Out Of Bosnia' 
Several American Military Operations In The 1980s And 90s Shared A Remarkable 
Trait: They Were Successful. The Capture Of Gen. Noriega In Panama, The 
Invasion Of Grenada And The War Against Iraq All Accomplished Their Military 
Objectives At A Price Americans Were Willing To Pay.