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Article: ^The Vietnam War changed the way the American military behaves today.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 21, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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No more Vietnams.
That imperative drives the United States military today.
It was clear in the American offer to send weapons and advisers _ but not combat troops _ to Colombia to fight drug traffickers and jungle insurgents.
It was obvious in the Kosovo campaign last year, conducted by high-flying bombers, but not ground troops.
It was clear in the United States' withdrawal from Somalia after U.S. soldiers died in a firefight in 1993. And it was in evidence in the reliance on cruise missiles and new airborne technologies against Iraq in the 1990s.
No longer just the mantra of anti-war demonstrators, a "no more Vietnams" ...