Vietnam War Terms Creep Into U.S. Debate on Iraq [View All]

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The language of the Vietnam war has crept into the U.S. debate on Iraq (news - web sites), with officials and pundits talking of guerrilla warfare, pacifying the country, combating insurgents and even how to leave with honor.

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In an editorial on Wednesday, The Washington Post said the wave of attacks "probably is intended to have the same effect as the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam: to convince Americans that their troops are committed to a losing cause and must withdraw -- even if, in military terms, that is not the case.


"The attacks so far ... like those of Tet, pose no strategic threat to the U.S. military presence in the country; they also pale beside those of 1968, which cost the lives of more than 3,800 U.S. servicemen and 14,000 Vietnamese civilians," it added. "Still, the bombings have shocked Iraqis, intimidated some would-be allies and strengthened doubts in Congress and the public about the Iraq mission."

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"The fact that things are going well in many parts of the country is not to me overly comforting because in an insurgency things are generally going well in most of the country because the insurgents pick, in a very strategic way, high-value targets to create disruption in some parts," Berger said.

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