Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mh3bs!mhtsa!exodus!gamma!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece 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