The Persian gulf war: A political-military assessment
Titel:
The Persian gulf war: A political-military assessment
Auteur:
O'Neill, Bard E. Kass, Ilana
Verschenen in:
Comparative strategy
Paginering:
Jaargang 11 (1992) nr. 2 pagina's 213-240
Jaar:
1992-04
Inhoud:
The Persian Gulf war might already be the most overanalyzed conflict in history. More ink than blood has been spilled before, during, and after the war, with the quest for “lessons-learned” flourishing into a veritable cottage industry. This essay, therefore, focuses on political and military issues that have been largely eclipsed by the more dazzling aspects of Desert Storm. In doing so, our objective is to provide a clearer perspective on the dynamics of the war—its causes, conduct, and termination—as well as to set the framework for a comprehensive assessment of the immediate and longer-term regional and global outcomes. The military and political success of Desert Storm did not usher in a new order in the Middle East. Battlefield victories are inherently difficult to translate into political realities. Similarly, it is far easier to compel an opponent to sue for peace than to modify his behavior in the aftermath. Thus, while the gulf war opened a window of opportunity for a comprehensive address of regional sources of instability, the actualization of this potential is bound to be a protracted and difficult process.
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