"Presidente Alcazar" wrote in
message ...
On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 21:02:31 -0500, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:

"British timidity"? Just how many reservists was the US mobilising for
a
ground offensive into Kosovo? I seem to recall the option being
categorically ruled out in the US... but we were getting ready to sign
Queen's Orders.

Personally, I could care less what Hackworth has to say about
anything--IMO
he is a bit like James Dunnigan and Tom Clancy, in that he apparently
enamored with the sound of his own voice and impresses himself if nobody
else. But Paul, you do need to go back and check your facts--while
Clinton &
Company had indeed ruled out the ground option early on (rating as one of
his administration's bigger military mistakes--it was stupid to give
Milosevich the additional breathing room it afforded him), they did
subsequently revisit the issue, and they *did* announce that it was back
into play (that latter cite is one that even you folks in the UK should
have
heard of at the time).

Agreed, but then this change was a direct result of a change in
context which included *British* pressure to reconsider the use of
ground troops. When it comes down to it, the British were pushing
earlier for committing a force on the ground if necessary, and were
putting their money where their mouth was. I should know, I was
getting prepped for mobilisation at exactly that time, and I knew
where I'd be going. So, while I take your point, talking about
"British timidity" over Kosovo is, frankly, ********. When it came
down to it, the British goverment were displaying more nerve and
willingness to do the business than the US adminsitration.

I did not say otherwise. Hackworth was off-base with his assessment (not an
unusual event), and I would agree that the British position was probably the
wiser one. My comments were directed at Paul's (again) ignoring the fact
that the US did indeed (belatedly) buy into the ground invasion as a real
option, and did indeed begin some obvious preparations for that eventuality.
I seriously doubt that Milosevich gave the ground threat much creedence
until he saw the US start accepting that possibility (not a jab at the UK,
but just common sense in that any ground invasion without US troops
participating was not a realistic threat).

Brooks

snip