"The fact is that al Qaeda's playbook is not printed on Page One, and when America's is, it has serious ramifications," Duffy said, reading from prepared remarks. "You don't need to be Sun Tzu to understand that," he added, referring to the ancient Chinese general who wrote "The Art of War."Trent Duffy has a lot of brass to spout Sun Tzu with respect to the war in Iraq. I would dare say that the entire fiasco in Iraq is a lesson in how NOT to apply the principles of war as outlined by Sun Tzu.
First of all the very first verse in the "Art of War" cautions that war is grave undertaking for the state and must be carefully studied. Additionally, he warns that all possible avenues to avoid armed conflict must be explored and exhausted before taking up arms. Finally, he admonishes that should armed confict be necessary it should be done as to have victory:
1) in the shortest possible time;
2) at the least possible cost in lives and effort;
3) with infliction on the enemy of the fewest possible casualties.
It is quite obvious that no one guiding the clusterfuck in Iraq has read and understood the principles of war as outlined by Sun Tzu. If they had we wouldn't be there in the first place.
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