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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: BIG guns - (nf)
Message-ID: <5864@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Feb-84 03:40:16 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5864
Posted: Sat Feb 25 03:40:16 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Feb-84 23:22:57 EST
Lines: 17

#R:iwlc3:-10500:uicsl:4300164:000:724
uicsl!preece    Feb 24 22:29:00 1984

One of the things a military force can do is control a piece of gournd.
If that piece of ground is between warring parties and is wider than
their artillery can bridge, the parties may be restrained, especially
if they don't want to get involved in fighting the neutral force in
the middle.  You don't need to kick ass if you can convince the other
guys that you CAN kick ass if they provoke you.

Whether Lebanon was a suitable situation for this strategy is debateable
(not by me, I don't know enough about it).  Generally it's silly to get
into such a position unless the combatants are looking for an excuse to
stop fighting and you're just being asked to reinforce that desire.

scott preece
ihnp4!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece