Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Speak out: Acts of terror By Gen. roger H. Deinla (REt) Mandaue City
IN the old days, war used to mean armed conflict between states and nations.
Nowadays, war is used in various struggles: ideological, political, economic, social, and even in internal problems like crime, drugs, gambling, rebellion, secessions, insurgency etc.
To win any war, one must win the major battles.
Judging from the proliferation of wars, to include the latest one against global terrorism, there will be more battlefields to last a lifetime.
In a war against secession, rebellion or terrorism, the contenders are organized with at least three major components: armed,political/ideological and economic support alliances, with their propaganda element.
The armed component does not carry the fight alone. Everyone in the organization fights to survive or prevail.
There will always be casualties in war and ordinary soldiers and officers in the frontlines are at risk first.
Some wise guys suggested that senior officers and generals go and fight in frontline combat.
Well, they have done that before as junior officers and now they are at strategic or national level to oversee the campaign with their experience.
Tactical and operational actions are done by trained common soldiers and junior officers.
But why the issue of conspiracy was raised by devious minds against senior officers of the Armed Forces on the Marines’ debacle in Basilan on July 10, 2007 is beyond me.
Any stupid jerk can inform/explain that the military structure is hierarchical and not one flat organization composed of just privates/common soldiers run by few sergeants at the top.
The organization is designed to devolve and decentralize responsibility and authority to the lowest level so it can act quickly on matters on its area of responsibility.
In the heat of the action, the commander on the ground is always presumed to be right, following his mission, procedures and policies as guide, hence the need for highly educated and motivated officer corps.
Mutilations and beheadings of soldiers are common in combat areas of Mindanao.
In 1973, more than a platoon of my soldiers, including Captain Canilanza and Lieutenant Abdul of the 57th PC Battalion fighting the Moro National Liberation Front were victims of such atrocities in what is now Camp Abubakar.
Further south, they even roasted PC soldiers like pigs.
This was done to shock and terrorize the people and government and weaken their resolve to respond.
