Abstract

FORIGUA ROJAS, Emersson. Wars of Yesterday and Today: the Vietnam and Iraq Wars. Pap.polit. [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.2, pp.567-614. ISSN 0122-4409.

The war in Iraq has aroused heated debates concerning the strategy, objectives, results, and sustainability of the operations carried out since March, 2003. The complexity of the scenario, the results, and the way in which the war has evolved have led many politicians, analysts, academics, and ordinary people to draw a parallel between the current situation in Iraq and the Vietnam War (1965-1973). The parallel between these two conflicts has been mainly reflected in the voices that argue that the war is lost, demand a date for the withdrawal of the troops, and evince the increasing number of U.S. casualties. In this context, the essay pretends to discuss the facts that surrounded the Vietnam War in order to pave the way for reflections on the parallels that can be drawn between these two conflicts. Likewise, knowing exactly what occurred in Vietnam serves as a basis for understanding the reasons why it is so difficult for the United States to understand, respond and adapt to guerrilla warfare and to the challenges posed by asymmetric enemies.

Keywords : Asymmetric warfare; War of Iraq; 2003; Cold war.

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