Step by step, inch by inch...

Gentlemen, Start Your Ratchets

By Rick Horowitz

"Absolutely not."

"Absolutely not?"

"Absolutely not -- no ground troops in Kosovo. That is absolutely not our intention."

"Not our intention?"

"Absolutely not. We don't need ground troops in Kosovo -- we will do it all with air power."

"And if we can't do it all with air power?"

"We will use more air power. We do not intend to use ground troops to fight a war in Kosovo."

"But we can use ground troops to protect a peace in Kosovo."

"Once there is a peace we can use ground troops -- that has always been our position."

"But not until there's a peace."

"That is our position."

"What if ground troops could help make a peace?"

"We intend to use air power to make a peace."

"Intentions can change."

"That is our position at this time." "How much air power will we use?"

"We will use as much air power as we need to prevail. We will prevail."

"Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes."

"But no ground troops."

"That is our position at this time."

"And at some other time?"

"We don't plan to change our position. We believe we can accomplish our mission without using ground troops."

"Because of all our air power."

"Exactly."

"Bombers and cruise missiles and Apache helicopters."

"Exactly."

"Do Apache helicopters land on the ground?"

"That's different. That's across the border."

"Do Apache helicopters need troops on the ground to service and protect them?"

"That's different. Those are troops on the ground, not ground troops. The question of ground troops is not on the table."

"Not on the table."

"Not at this time. The question of ground troops is not being debated in any formal or serious way."

"Is it being debated in any informal or non-serious way?"

"There are old contingency plans involving ground troops, of course. We could quickly update our old contingency plans if we had to."

"And you're first mentioning this now."

"There was no need to mention it before."

"And now?"

"We just thought we'd mention it now. Any consideration of ground troops is something for the future."

"The future."

"As of now."

"But you don't expect to use ground troops -- you're still saying you don't expect to use ground troops."

"Absolutely not."

"Absolutely not."

Posted 4/13/99. Fresh stuff right here twice weekly!

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