Saddam Hussein: Master Air Strategist
Abstract
Fashionable thinking characterizes Saddam Hussein as the "antithesis of a strategist." But, as Sun Tzu suggests, it is precipitous to draw conclusions about the caliber of a strategist simply because he did not prevail in a given contest. Much of the credit for Hussein's failure to prevail is attributed to the air campaign. What was Hussein's strategy to deal with over 2,600 Coalition aircraft arrayed against his force of just 750 planes? Obviously, a definitive statement of Hussein's strategic plan is not available, and one might never be obtainable. Nonetheless, sufficient evidence exists to conclude that Hussein had a strategy, and one that was well-conceived given his situation. Moreover, his strategy was consonant with much of the thinking espoused by Sun Tzu, one of history's greatest theorists of military strategy. Of particular importance to U.S. planners is that Hussein's strategy was designed to employ American air power to achieve his objectives. Furthermore, some future despot might yet successfully use the strategy Hussein conceived. Gulf War post-mortems almost universally criticize Hussein for failing to appreciate the potency of Coalition airpower, and especially that of the U.S.. The evidence is, however, to the contrary. Former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega spoke with Hussein shortly before the start of the air war.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 08, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA437367
Entities
People
- Charles J. Dunlap Jr.
Organizations
- National War College