Sun Tzu and The War on Terrorism
An analysis comparing Sun Tzu's military masterpiece 'The Art of War'
to the conflict in Afghanistan
Warfare is a great matter to a nation;
it is the ground of death and of life;
it is the way of survival and of destruction, and must be examined.
Sun Tzu
Sun-Tzu wrote his book 'The Art of War' some 3,000 years ago. He was a great military General in China.
Here I have compiled some relevant bits of his book, and layed them out in this page, along with my comments on the way the war is being waged to this point.
Sun-Tzu's comments are in black, mine are in blue.
I got the book Sun-Tzu's Art of War online from Sonshi
The desirable traits and characteristics of the Armies
CHAPTER 1
Sun-Tzu said:
Ask:
Which ruler has the Way,
which general has the ability,
which has gained Heaven and Ground,
which carried out Law and commands,
which army is strong,
which officers and soldiers are trained,
which reward and punish clearly,
by means of these, I know victory and defeat!
A general who listens to my calculations, and uses them, will surely
be victorious, keep him;
a general who does not listen to my calculations, and does not use them,
will surely be defeated, remove him.
It could be said:
Bush has:
The Way, by means of concordance from the outside leaders and the people
of the USA.
The US military has achieved Air Dominance and is entering the ground
combat phase
The US military is carrying out the international law.
The US military is the strongest in the world, and well trained.
A fast campaign is necessary, don't drag this one out!
CHAPTER 2
Sun-Tzu said:
When doing battle, seek a quick victory.
A protracted battle will blunt weapons and dampen ardor.
If troops lay siege to a walled city, their strength will be exhausted.
If the army is exposed to a prolonged campaign, the nation's resources
will not suffice.
many calculations, victory, few calculations, no victory, then how much
less so when no calculations?
Make the correct military decisions to enable a lightening fast campaign,
keep this engagement as short and decisive as possible.
The 'Fortress Afghanistan' is a walled city, enclosed by mountains and
a harsh landscape. But it is a walled city without a roof! Use air
support as much as possible.
Bomb selective targets as long as possible, with occasional forays
by special troops to selected locations for 'behind the lines' operations.
Our analysts have certainly planned this out to a high
degree. But the actions of the terrorists shows they did not really understand
the American and the International psyche.
CHAPTER 3
Sun-Tzu said:
Generally in warfare, keeping a nation intact is best, destroying a
nation second best;
keeping an army intact is best, destroying an army is second best;
Therefore, to gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the
highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of
excellence.
Therefore, the best warfare strategy is to attack the enemy's plans,
next is to attack alliances, next is to attack the army, and the worst
is to attack a walled city.
Laying siege to a city is only done when other options are not available.
To build large protective shields, armored wagons, and make ready the
necessary arms and equipment will require at least three months.
To build earthen mounds against the walls will require another three
months.
If the general cannot control his temper and sends troops to swarm the
walls, one third of them will be killed, and the city will still not be
taken.
This is the kind of calamity when laying siege to a walled city.
Therefore, one who is skilled in warfare principles subdues the enemy
without doing battle, takes the enemy's walled city without attacking,
and overthrows the enemy quickly, without protracted warfare.
His aim must be to take All-Under-Heaven intact.
Therefore, weapons will not be blunted, and gains will be intact.
There are three ways the ruler can bring difficulty to the army:
To order an advance when not realizing the army is in no position to
advance, or to order a withdrawal when not realizing the army is in no
position to withdraw.
This is called entangling the army.
By not knowing the army's matters, and administering the army the same
as administering civil matters, the officers and troops will be confused.
By not knowing the army's calculations, and taking command of the army,
the officers and troops will be hesitant.
When the army is confused and hesitant, the neighboring rulers will
take advantage.
This is called a confused and hesitant army leading another to victory.
Therefore, there are five factors of knowing who will win:
One who knows when he can fight, and when he cannot fight, will be victorious;
one who knows how to use both large and small forces will be victorious;
one who knows how to unite upper and lower ranks in purpose will be
victorious;
one who is prepared and waits for the unprepared will be victorious;
one whose general is able and is not interfered by the ruler will be
victorious.
These five factors are the way to know who will win.
Therefore I say:
One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a
hundred battles.
One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win,
sometimes lose.
One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in
danger in every battle.
Destroying Afghanistan should not be the goal in this offensive. Keep
the nation intact, and the people whole. They will be our allies in the
region in coming years.
If we destroy their army from within, and cause large numbers of them
to surrender or defect, this will reduce the numbers to fight against,
while increasing our own numbers. The Taliban has large numbers of draftees
who are not excitied about fighting. While our military is all-volunteer
and highly trained, as well as excited and gung-ho for the work.
The enemies plans and alliances are largely destroyed. Their anti-aircraft
and mechanized operations are now ineffectual. All they have left is a
mix of unwilling and also fully comitted ground forces holed up in caves
and tunnels all through the country. But it is a walled city, therefore
most of our work will be from the air.
We have no choice but to attack this walled city, we took some time
building the mounds around the city (stationing material and personnel
in neighboring countries). Therefor do not give in to the temptation to
sending in large amounts of ground forces. The Taliban will rise
from tehir caves and fall upon our troops. Instead, keep up air support,
destroying any ground froces that try to gain provisions. And have just
small groups of ground troops hitting 'here and there' harrassing the enemy,
and denying them provisons.
The ruler (George Bush, and to a lesser degree the participationg Nations),
must leave much of the planning and execution of design to the Commanding
Officers, do not rule the militry from afar such as happened during Vietnam.
Bush knows how the military operates, leaving the Generals
to command, this will ensure good operations at all levels of the Military.
Follow good sense, resist brash moves, fight when the conditions
are in our favor, hold back when it favors the Taliban.
Use our large Air Defense system to our advantage, and
use the small mobile quick and hard hitting elite forces when possible
and advantitious.
The military is already united in purpose, from the private,
the the General.
We are prepared, and sit high above and behind rocks, waiting
for the unprepared to emerge from their holes and caverns in search of
a drop of water.
Bush, Congressmen, Senators, do not mess with the
Generals!
We need large amounts of 'humint' (human intelligence) from the ground.
We need sources within the Taliban ranks, or from people familiar with
their movements to inform us, so that we may more accurately calculate
their locations and anticipate their actions. We need to be familiar
with them and ourselves.
CHAPTER 4
In ancient times, those skilled in warfare make themselves invincible and then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.
Those skilled in defense conceal themselves in the lowest depths of the Earth, Those skilled in attack move in the highest reaches of the Heavens.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare establish positions that make them invincible and do not miss opportunities to attack the enemy.
The Taliban are certainly skilled in warfare. They have hunkered deep and are now nearly invinceable to our ordnance.
We have control of the skies, but can only kill the enemy at great expenditure of material. The Taliban are now waiting for us to engage ground troops,
this will even the odds they see. We will become vulnerable, and they willl creep along as single and team shooters, snipers crawling among the rocks waiting for an opportunity
to kill an American or two, and then melt back into the canyons.
This line of Sun Tzu's sounds almost prescient. But it is in accord with all Military theroy from ancient times. Dif into the ground and wait,
save your strength and resources, while the enemy hunts you down at great expenditure.
But we control the sky, we work in the heavens, dropping munitions so as to impact their resupply, communications, command structure and morale.
We have established control of the air, and must keep it. But we must not miss opportunities to strike at the enemy. The incident where a predator spy vehicle had targeted Mullah Omar,
yet the Military Lawyer questioned the legality of terminating him must not be permitted at any time in the future in this conflict nor in any other. When you have the enemy in your sights, you must gently squeeze the trigger.
Chapter 5
Those skilled in warfare seek victory through force and do not require too much from individuals.
Therefore, they are able to select the right men and exploit force.
One who exploits force commands men into battle like rolling logs and boulders.
Logs and boulders are still when on flat ground, but roll when on steep ground.
Square shapes are still, but round shapes roll.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare use force where the troops in battle are like boulders rolling down a steep mountain.
This is force.
Yes, force has gotten a bad rap, but force is sometimes what must truly be used.
We are using the combined force of our equipment and the skill, training and dedication of the people wh work in our military for the cause of National Defense.
It is necessary that our military be utilized to the highest degree depending on the current factors confronting it, supple, pliant, ready to sieze opportunity when it is at hand.
Chapter 6
Generally the one who first occupies the battlefield awaiting the enemy is at ease;
the one who comes later and rushes into battle is fatigued.
Therefore, if the enemy is at ease, be able to exhaust him;
if the enemy is well fed, be able to starve him;
if the enemy is settled, be able to move him;
To be certain to take what you attack, attack where the enemy cannot defend.
appear at places where he must rush to defend, and rush to places where he least expects.
against those skilled in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack.
To achieve an advance that cannot be hampered, rush to his weak points.
To achieve a withdrawal that cannot be pursued, depart with superior speed.
Therefore, if we want to do battle, even if the enemy is protected by high walls and deep moats, he cannot but do battle, because we attack what he must rescue.
The place of battle must not be made known to the enemy.
If it is not known, then the enemy must prepare to defend many places.
If he prepares to defend many places, then the forces will be few in number.
Therefore, if he prepares to defend the front, the back will be weak.
If he prepares to defend the back, the front will be weak.
If he prepares to defend everywhere, everywhere will be weak.
The few are those preparing to defend against others, the many are those who make others prepare to defend against them.
Therefore, if one knows the place of battle and the day of battle, he can march a thousand li and do battle.
If one does not know the place of battle and the day of battle, then his left cannot aid his right, and his right cannot aid his left;
Therefore, know the enemy's plans and calculate their strengths and weaknesses.
Provoke him, to know his patterns of movement.
Determine his position, to know the ground of death and of life.
Probe him, to know where he is strong and where he is weak.
The ultimate skill is to take up a position where you are formless.
If you are formless, the most penetrating spies will not be able to discern you, or the wisest counsels will not be able to do calculations against you.
Those who are able to adapt and change in accord with the enemy and achieve victory are called divine.
This section details some of the advantages Al Queda have.
They are on the run in a sense, yet they are holed up all over the world. We cannot go to one spot to find them.
Ephemeral, they will melt into the populations of the various countries they hide in.
They are composed of small numbers of the people all over the world.
Whispy like silk thread, they will show up for a second, then disappear. And if we look for them, they will be elusive as frog hair.
They will know where to attack us and hit our people hard. They live among us, knowing us and having no fear of death, they can strike us in our hearts causing massive damage.
We cannot well defend against this style of attack. Our best defense is to mobilize the entire populace to report suspicious people and actions, to be aware of the enemy in our midst.
Expect probing actions to ascertain our weaknesses and strengths. We must adapt our expectations of war to fit this gorilla fighting we are to encounter.
We must be subtle, changeable, adapting instantly to the changing conditions.
Chapter 7
HOME
John's Political Essays