Sadat: Modern Master of the Indirect Approach
Abstract
Egypt and the rest of the Arab world were caught in political limbo after the 1967 war with Israel. Israel had established strategic frontier defenses on the bordering Arab lands seized in the conflict. The psychological impact on broken and defeated armies and the civilian population was telling. The Arabs desired a political solution to regain their captured land, but the Israelis consolidated those areas following their victory and began to permanently settle on them. Anwar Sadat, the President of Egypt, increasingly was frustrated by the failure of diplomatic efforts to dislodge the Israelis from the occupied territory. From a position of weakness, the Arabs were unable to negotiate an acceptable settlement with Israel or gain the attention of the superpowers to broker a peaceful, equitable outcome to the ongoing conflict. Although he warned of an impending "Battle of Destiny" every year from 1970 through 1973, Sadat's lack of follow up began to threaten his credibility. It was this "no peace, no war" state of affairs that precipitated the Arab decision to break the existing political deadlock through military means. An insightful statesman and strategist, Sadat realized that he lacked the power or resources to win an all out war with Israel. However, he did have a firm grasp of the elements of statecraft and a unique vision for employing them. His plan to execute a joint, limited war to achieve Egyptian and Arab national political objectives and his shaping of the international political environment in support of this effort was brilliant. His success is a lasting testament to the effectiveness of the "indirect approach." Using the Diebel model for developing National Security Strategy and the Course II Framework for Military Strategy, this paper will show how Sadat effectively conceptualized and employed available means to attain his foreign policy and domestic ends.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA442635
Entities
People
- Michael A. Delvecchio
- Robert C. Field
Organizations
- National War College