Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 27, 1991                   TAG: 9103270409
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

RETREATING ARMY CAN EXPECT ATTACKS

Well-structured, clear and concise, the composition was a deliberate and unfair attack on the recent operation of the military air forces and leadership of the United States. Although the words "blood lust," "trigger-happy" and "Rambo" were never employed, they were implied.

Messrs. Coll and Branigin are ignorant of or have ignored military history. Did Grant strike the Army of Northern Virginia as it moved from Petersburg toward Appomattox Courthouse? Did the Russians attack Napoleon's Grand Army during its retreat from Moscow? Did the Chinese assault the Americans as they fell back from the Chosin Reservoir? Did the U.S. Army Air Corps annihilate the Germans at Falaise and did the Wehrmacht, once across the Meuse River, smash the withdrawing French?

In each instance the answer is yes, for that is what a pursuing military force should do. It should attack a retreating enemy in order to detroy him or impel his surrender, but certainly not allow him to escape to fight another day.

Finally, if the Iraqis had been allowed to retreat unmolested, consolidate and turn on the attacking ground force, with resulting American casualties, would Messrs. Coll and Branigin have then criticized Bush, Powell and Schwarzkopf for incompetence?

GEORGE J. WINTER\ MONTVALE