Reply #13: US military up to its old tricks. Put some guys out in an exposed position, dare the enemy to mount

[kenny blankenship]

a massive "wipe out" assault, get him to commit unusually large forces for a set piece battle, and then try to reduce their numbers with firepower.

Khe Sanh would be just the most spectacular large scale instance of the baiting tactic during Vietnam. It was actually a standard operating procedure, whether the attack was invited against dug in firebases as at Khe Sanh, or against moving targets as in the case of rapid troop insertions and patrols. We weren't in a game where we could take and hold ground and advance into the enemy's homeland and capture the capital and political leadership, so the goal was just to kill as many enemy as possible. We're in the same stupid game again. Put some poor unlucky GIs out there where the enemy will be tempted to come after them with massive numbers, then liquidate them with massive artillery and airpower.

Sucks to be a pawn.

I saw some clips from the BBC on the yootoobs in which dug in Americans were dodging Taliban mortars and machine gun fire down in some valley camp while the enemy poured fire in on them from the looming hills - unbelievably close! Who the fuck picked this spot? I was thinking. Then I realized it was just like old times for the Army. Put your guys out there in an indefensible spot, tell them Good Luck and to Remember to serpentine! Let them dodge the mortars, and duck under the hail of bullets while you send the gunship helicopters after the mortars and snipers.