European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 09, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 9, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 15 Clinton blundered by giving William f. Buckley the Gerry Adams business is so complicated it requires that we carefully list the relevant perspectives. No one possibly with the exception of Adams will deny that he Heads up apolitical organization sinn fein that is the political Arm of the Irish Republican army. And Noone will deny with a straight face that the Ira is a terrorist organization that has killed and mutilated men women and Chil Dren entirely unconnected wit British colonizers or for that matter Irish separatists. In Short Adams is the political spokesman for a movement that engages in activity deemed uncivilized by civilized people. It is historically the Case that terrorists Are laundered by history the moment their movement makes put. The easiest Case to summon to mind is Yasser Arafat. He was not permitted into the unite states Over a significant period because the Palestine liberation organization was correctly classified As a terrorist organization. During my spell with the  in the United nations in 1973, an Effort was made to collect an International consensus in denunciation of terrorism. But the Arab and african states pushing at the time palestinian Irr Eden Tim and anti apartheid activity respectively qualified the Resolution sponsored by the United states and others to the Point of meaninglessness. The palestinians argued that after All israelis engaged in terrorist activity on the grounds that it was necessary to mid wife a state. Before that algerians engaged in wholesale terrorism against the French and prevailed. And As in Israel and Palestine algerians who engaged Inland directed terrorism ended up decorating state Chancell eries. The prospects for National terrorists depend greatly on the resident political situation. The majority in Algeria were algerians. The jewish enclave in pales Tine was primarily jewish. In South Afri Ca 83 percent Are nonwhite. In Ulster two thirds Are protestants and the one third who Are Catholic Are by no mean unanimous in desiring the integration of Ulster into Ireland where by the Sam Token the sentiment is by no Means unanimous and where Ira activity i specifically outlawed. It is not therefore practical to suppose that Irish Union is introspect. And then of course hovering Over the situation in Ulster is Britain which asserts a claim on Ulster As firm As ours is Over Alaska and Hawaii. Perhaps a Century from now the configuration of Britain will change in such a Way As to exclude Northern land. That is possible but Only in the sense that everything is possible. Mean while we Are supposed to pay some at Tention to protocol and it tells us that it in t our business in the United states Roget in the Way of other countries Intra Ato . ,. Mural discussions. Of but does it follow that the unite states ought not to provide a forum for foreign leaders associated with terror ism. We run into our old Friend the first amendment. But of course it tells us that any american is free to say anything he wishes. It does not instruct the state department to give a visa to any. Foreigner who wishes to come to the United state sin order to ventilate a political position. Eight times Adams applied for a visa to come to the United states and was re fused. Question were these refusals in reasoned or unreasonable certainly no the former and not the latter unless we suddenly have come to believe that Irish Union is around the Corner and we want to make time with Adams As we rushed to make time with the african National Congress Nelson Mandela. But what is just possibly around the Corner is not Irish Union but a modes i Vendi carefully painstakingly put to Gether by John major and Irish peace seekers anxious to make a Little Progress in the disorderly and tragic life of North Ern Ireland with its 3,000 victims of terrorism. We do not know the specifications of the British Irish negotiations but Adams line in the United states was of the kind that encourages die hard ism at a moment when conciliation beckons. The British foreign office called incur ambassador in London and gave him a Tongue lashing. Well we run our own country and should continue to do so. But one won Ders at yet one More display of striking incompetence by the Clinton administration in foreign policy. C univ Sal press Syndicate traditional wartime skills make forces flexible almost 25 years ago when first assigned to the Pentagon i was fascinated to find a Wall in the warplanes directorate office covered with an old pre world War ii map of the world shaded in the Many colors of the colonial empires that had then dominated the Globe. At the top was the mysterious caption somewhere just out of sight the unicorns Are Gath  that Thurber esque comment evidently was warning to the planners that despite their Best efforts the world would remain a dangerous Uncertain and unpredictable place. By now the map has undoubtedly disappeared but the sentiment it expressed is still very much with us. Uncertainty is More Rife than it has Ever been and the unicorns continue to  uncertainty bedevil the most fundamental military considerations. What should be the size shape and composition of the army Navy air Force and Marine corps How should they be armed and equipped where should they be based both at Homeland abroad How should they be trained what should be their focus during my six years on the faculty of the army War College As during the preceding four decades As Well the answer could be simply stated the russians Are coming sure enough last year when i returned to give the opening lecture to the new class there sitting in the audience were the russians. Not As enemies but As students. But the end of the cold War did not mean a be Nign world. As iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein proved there Are still tigers. Unfortunately As with Thurber unicorns they Are difficult to identify. As the Pentagon found several years ago trying to define the military interns of imaginary scenarios invites ridicule and fur ther weakens the National Security consensus. How then to Structure the military in this time of uncertainty. -.-. V the solution is a return to fundamentals. We begin with what we know. First the world remains a danger Ous place. Second there is no International body Capa ble of maintaining or restoring order. That Means we must provide for our own Secu Rity and that of our worldwide interests. We also know America is an Island and must project it Power overseas to defend its interests abroad. That puts a Premium on naval and air Force Power capabilities including underway replenishment an Aerial refuelling for its warships and warplanes. It also creates requirement for Airlift such As the c-17 transport and fast Seal Ift ships to move our ground troops and their arms and equipment into position. One of the reasons the marines did so Well in recent Force Structure cuts is that their expeditionary forces Are ideally suited for Power projection. But the need to keep them relatively lightly equipped for rapid deploy ment also Means that the marines must have a More heavily armed army to Back them up. This army needs to be capable of defeating an land forces in the world on the Field of Battle. And these ground forces must be deployed supported an sustained by sufficient air and naval forces. That is what the recent Bottom up review was designed to ensure. But even its supporters admit that it cuts close. Harry g. Summers no one really believes foist example that it gives us the capability to fight two wars near simultaneously unless our adversaries Are once again Grenada and Panama. Two other fundamentals ease the uncertainty problem. First is the general acknowledgement that conventional forces Are now the strategic i.e., War winning forces of the United states. While nuclear weapons Are still critical for deterrence especially As nuclear proliferation spreads they Are no longer Serenas usable weapons of War. Second trinitarian War is still the american Way. Although lately such military experts As Israel s Martin Van Crefeld and England s John Keegan have declared that Karl von Clausewitz s remarkable trin Ity of the people government and military As the basis for War is a thing of the past recent events have shown the Depths of their ignorance about America. Fifty years before Clausewitz the founding fathers wrote into the Constitution the provision that the . Mili tary was to be a people s military. While commanded by the president its very existence was dependent on the Congress. This trinitarian principle was reaffirmed within past  when Congress made it Plain that the administration s plan to turn the military away from its traditional War fighting focus into a peacemaking organization under . Command would not pass mus Ter. Unpredictability still plagues the Pentagon but the military deals with this uncertainty by focusing efforts on its traditional War fighting skills enabling it to fight anywhere at any place and at any time. C u 8 Angeles Timon