by Gore Vidal
Only one congresswoman, Barbara Lee of California, voted against the additional powers granted the president. Meanwhile, a New York Times–CBS poll noted that only 6 percent now opposed military action while a substantial majority favored war “even if many thousands of innocent civilians are killed.” Simultaneously, Bush’s approval rating has soared, but then, traditionally, in war, the president is totemic like the flag. When Kennedy got his highest rating after the debacle of the Bay of Pigs, he observed, characteristically, “It would seem that the worse you fuck up in this job the more popular you get.” Bush, father and son, may yet make it to Mount Rushmore though it might be cheaper to redo Barbara Bush’s look-alike, George Washington, by adding two strings of Teclas to his limestone neck—in memoriam, as it were.
Finally, the physical damage Osama and friends can do us—terrible as it has been thus far—is as nothing as to what he is doing to our liberties. Once alienated, an “unalienable right” is apt to be forever lost, in which case we are no longer even remotely the last best hope of earth but merely a seedy imperial state whose citizens are kept in line by SWAT teams and whose way of death, not life, is universally imitated.
Since V-J Day 1945 (“Victory over Japan” and the end of World War II), we have been engaged in what the historian Charles A. Beard called “perpetual war for perpetual peace.” I have occasionally referred to our “enemy of the month club”: each month we are confronted by a new horrendous enemy at whom we must strike before he destroys us. I have been accused of exaggeration, so here’s the scoreboard from Kosovo (1999) back to Berlin Airlift (1948–49). You will note that the compilers, Federation of American Scientists, record a number of our wars as “ongoing,” even though many of us have forgotten about them. We are given, under “Name,” many fanciful Defense Department titles like Urgent Fury, which was Reagan’s attack on the island of Grenada, a month-long caper that General Haig disloyally said could have been handled more efficiently by the Provincetown police department. (Question marks are from compilers.)
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace
2002
CURRENT OPERATIONS
Name
Locale
Joint Guardian
Kosovo
Allied Force/Noble Anvil
Kosovo
Determined Force
Kosovo
Cobalt Flash
Kosovo
Shining Hope
Kosovo
Sustain Hope/Allied Harbour
Kosovo
Provide Refuge
Kosovo
Open Arms
Kosovo
Eagle Eye
Kosovo
Determined Falcon
Kosovo & Albania
Determined Effort
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Joint Endeavor
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Joint Guard
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Joint Forge
Bosnia-Herzegovina
DELIBERATE FORCE
Bosnian Serbs
Quick Lift
Croatia
Nomad Vigil
Albania
Nomad Endeavor
Taszar, Hungary
Able Sentry
Serbia-Macedonia
Deny Flight
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
11 Jun 1999–TDB 200?
23 Mar 1999–10 Jun 1999
08 Oct 1998–23 Mar 1999
05 Apr 1999–Fall 1999
16 Oct 1998–24 Mar 1999
15 Jun 1998–16 Jun 1998
Jul 1995–Dec 1995
Dec 1995–Dec 1996
Dec 1996–20 Jun 1998
20 June 1998–Present
6,900
29 Aug 1995–21 Sep 1995
03 Jul 1995–11 Aug 1995
01 Jul 1995–05 Nov 1996
Mar 1996–Present
05 Jul 1994–Present
12 Apr 1993–20 Dec 1995
2,000
Name
Locale
Decisive Endeavor/Decisive Edge
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Decisive Guard/Deliberate Guard
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Deliberate Forge
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Sky Monitor
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Maritime Monitor
Adriatic Sea
Maritime Guard
Adriatic Sea
Sharp Guard
Adriatic Sea
Decisive Enhancement
Adriatic Sea
Determined Guard
Adriatic Sea
Provide Promise
Bosnia
SOUTHWEST ASIA
Name
Locale
[none] (air strike)
Iraq
[none] (cruise missile strike)
Iraq
[none] (cruise missile strike)
Iraq
DESERT STRIKE
Iraq
DESERT THUNDER
Iraq
DESERT FOX
Iraq
Shining Presence
Israel
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
Jan 1996–Dec 1996
??
Dec 1996–20 Jun 1998
??
20 Jun 1998–Present
16 Oct 1992–Present
16 Jul 1992–22 Nov 1992
??
22 Nov 1992–15 Jun 1993
??
15 Jun 1993–Dec 1995
11,700
Dec 1995–19 Jun 1996
??
Dec 1996–Present
??
03 Jul 1992–Mar 1996
1,000
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
26 Jun 1993–13 Jan 1993
13 Jan 1993–17 Jan 1993
17 Jan 1993–26 Jun 1993
03 Sep 1996–04 Sep 1996
Feb 1998–16 Dec 1998
16 Dec 1998–20 Dec 1998
Dec 1998–Dec 1998
Name
Locale
Phoenix Scorpion IV
Iraq
Phoenix Scorpion III
Iraq
Phoenix Scorpion II
Iraq
Phoenix Scorpion I
Iraq
Desert Focus
Saudi Arabia
Vigilant Warrior
Kuwait
Vigilant Sentinel
Kuwait
Intrinsic Action
Kuwait
Desert Spring
Kuwait
Iris Gold
SW Asia
Pacific Haven/Quick Transit
Iraq > Guam
Provide Comfort
Kurdistan
Provide Comfort II
Kurdistan
Northern Watch
Kurdistan
Southern Watch
Southwest Asia/Iraq
Desert Falcon
Saudi Arabia
OTHER OPERATIONS
Name
Locale
Korea
Korea
New Horizons
Central America
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
Dec 1998–Dec 1998
Nov 1998–Nov 1998
Feb 1998–Feb 1998
Nov 1997–Nov 1997
Jul 1996–Present
Oct 1994–Nov 1994
Aug 1995–15 Feb 1997
01 Dec 1995–01 Oct 1999
01 Oct 1999–Present
?? 1993–Present
15 Sep 1996–16 Dec 1996
05 Apr 1991–Dec 1994
42,500
24 Jul 1991–31 Dec 1996
??
31 Dec 1996–Present
1,100
1991–Present
14,000
1991–Present
Dates
&
nbsp; U.S. Forces Involved
Ongoing
Ongoing
Name
Locale
Sierra Leone NEO
Sierra Leone
MONUC [UN PKO]
DR Congo
Resolute Response
Africa
Gatekeeper
California
Hold-the-Line
Texas
Safeguard
Arizona
Golden Pheasant
Honduras
Alliance
U.S. southern border
Provide Hope I
Former Soviet Union
Provide Hope II
Former Soviet Union
Provide Hope III
Former Soviet Union
Provide Hope IV
Former Soviet Union
Provide Hope V
Former Soviet Union
COUNTERDRUG OPERATIONS
Name
Locale
Coronet Nighthawk
Central/South America
Coronet Oak
Central/South America
Selva Verde
Colombia
Badge
Kentucky
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
May 2000
Feb 2000–Ongoing
Aug 1998–Present
1995–Present
1995–Present
1995–Present
Mar 1988–Present
1986–Present
10 Feb 1992–26 Feb 1992
15 Apr 1992–29 Jul 1992
1993?–1993?
10 Jan 1994–19 Dec 1994
06 Nov 1998–10 May 1999
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
1991–Present
Oct 1977–17 Feb 1999
1995–Present
1990–Present?
Name
Locale
Ghost Dancer
Oregon
Greensweep
California
Grizzly
California
Wipeout
Hawaii
Ghost Zone
Bolivia
Constant Vigil
Bolivia
Support Justice
South America
Steady State
South America
Green Clover
South America
Laser Strike
South America
Agate Path
CONUS
Enhanced Ops
CONUS
COMPLETED OPERATIONS
Name
Locale
Silent Promise
Mozambique/South Africa
Fundamental Response
Venezuela
Stabilize
Timor
Avid Response
Turkey
Strong Support [Fuerte Apoyo]
Central America
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
1990–Present?
Jul 1990–Aug 1990
1990–Present?
1990–Present
Mar 1990–1993?
199?–??
1991–1994
1994–Apr 1996
199?–199?
Apr 1996–Present
1989–???
???–Present
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
Feb 2000–? Apr 2000
20 Dec 1999–Early 2000
11 Sep 1999–Nov 1999
18 Aug 1999–Sep 1999
Oct 1998–10 Feb 1999
5,700
Name
Locale
Infinite Reach
Sudan/Afganistan
Shepherd Venture
Guinea-Bissau
[none]
Asmara, Eritrea NEO
Noble Response
Kenya
Bevel Edge
Cambodia
Noble Obelisk
Sierra Leone
Guardian Retrieval
Congo (formerly Zaire)
Silver Wake
Albania
Guardian Assistance
Zaire/Rwanda/Uganda
Assurance/Phoenix Tusk
Zaire/Rwanda/Uganda
Quick Response
Central African Republic
Assured Response
Liberia
Zorro II
Mexico
Third Taiwan Straits Crisis
Taiwan Strait
Safe Border
Peru/Ecuador
United Shield
Somalia
Uphold/Restore Democracy
Haiti
Quiet Resolve/Support Hope
Rwanda
Safe Haven/Safe Passage
Cuba > Panama
Sea Signal/JTF-160
Haiti > Guantanamo, Cuba
Distant Runner
Rwanda NEO
Korean Nuclear Crisis
North Korea
Dates
U.S. Forces Involved
20 Aug 1998–20 Aug 1998
10 Jun 1998–17 Jun 1998
130
05 Jun 1998–06 Jun 1998
130
21 Jan 1998–25 Mar 1998
Jul 1997–Jul 1997
May 1997–Jun 1997
Mar 1997–Jun 1997
14 Mar 1997–26 Mar 1997
15 Nov 1996–27 Dec 1996
15 Nov 1996–27 Dec 1996
May 1996–Aug 1996
Apr 1996–Aug 1996
Dec 1995–02 May 1996
21 Jul 1995–23 Mar 1996
1995–30 Jun 1999
03 Jan 1995–25 Mar 1995
4,000
19 Sep 1994–31 Mar 1995
21,000
22 Jul 1994–30 Sep 1994
2,592
06 Sep 1994–01 Mar 1995
18 May 1994–Feb 1996
09 Apr 1994–15 Apr 1994
10 Feb 1993–Jun 1994
Name
Locale
[none]