TheTiny Man Who Defeated Superpowers Recalls Vietnam Wins Vs. France U.S.

[G_j]

Giap Recalls Vietnam Wins Vs. France, U.S.

By TINI TRAN Associated Press Writer

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VIETNAM_GIAP_REMEMBERS?SITE=OHCOL&SECTION=HOME

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- The frail and tiny man who
defeated two superpowers returned to the spotlight
Friday to talk of triumphs past and deliver words of
warning to the Americans at war in Iraq.

"Any forces that would impose their will on other
nations will certainly face defeat," said Vo Nguyen
Giap, the legendary general whose strategies wore out
the French colonial regime and then the U.S. Army.

Giap is 92 now, the last of Vietnam's giants in a
30-year war to shake off colonial rule and unite the
country under communism. What brought him to a rare
meeting with journalists was two landmark
anniversaries: The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975,
and the defeat of French colonial forces at the epic
siege of Dien Bien Phu, 50 years ago next Friday.

With critics of the Iraq war likening it to America's
Vietnam experience, Giap's opinion was eagerly sought,
but the man considered one of history's foremost
military strategists prefaced his reply with caution,
saying he didn't know the specifics of the Iraqi
situation.

He offered this: "All nations fighting for their
legitimate interests and sovereignty will surely win."

..more..

[Amerpie]

1. Last week

I was in NYC on a speaking trip for Bring Them Home Now! I did a two-hour interview with a chap from the Vietnamese news agency. It actually turned into a real conversation. He was just amazed that more Americans don't see the similarities between this war and the one with his country. He was absolutely convinced that we are doomed there. He was sad about it too. He likes Americans.

[G_j]

2. yes

it really does appear like plain stupidity at times to have not 'learned' from Vietnam. But really at the root of it is arrogance, the same arrogance.

[eridani]

3. He was trained by the US in WW II

to fight against the Japanese occupiers. The Viet Minh saved quite a few downed Allied pilots for our side.

[ConsAreLiars]

4. Here is how in 1996 Giap described the attempted conquest of his country

Lessons that were not learned by the neo-fascist cabal now in control of the US gov't:
From: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/11/interviews/giap/
On the U.S. leadership during the war:

In general, I must say they were the most intelligent people, with certain talents such as military, political and diplomacy skills. They were intelligent people. That was the first point that I want to say. The second point I want to say is that they knew little about Vietnam and her people. They didn't understand our will to maintain independence and equality between nations even though these are stated in President Jefferson's manifestation. And so they made mistakes. They did not know the limits of power. ... No matter how powerful you are there are certain limits, and they did not understand it well. ...

The people in the White House believed that Americans would definitely win and there is not chance of defeat. There is a saying which goes, "If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you would win every single battle." However, the Americans fought the Vietnamese, but they did not know much about Vietnam or anything at all about the Vietnamese people.. Vietnam is an old nation founded in a long history before the birth of Christ. ... The Americans knew nothing about our nation and her people. American generals knew little about our war theories, tactics and patterns of operation. ...

During the war everyone in the country would fight and they do so following the Vietnamese war theory. We have a theory that is different from that of the Russians and that of the Americans. The Americans did not understand that. They did not know or understand our nation; they did not know our war strategies. They could not win. How could they win? As our president said, there was nothing more precious than independence and freedom. We had the spirit that we would govern our own nation; we would rather sacrifice than be slaves.

[G_j]

5. amazing

this should have been required reading for anyone who thought there would be dancing in the streets over a US occupation.

It seems like nothing has changed. The only thing they have learned is to try to hide the body bags and control the media.

[ConsAreLiars]

6. These ideologues,

including the braindead coward-and-thief and sock-puppet extraordinaire, have bought into the delusion that the US defeat in Vietnam was due to a lack of will (see Nietzsche and Strauss and Hitler) rather than the innate resistance to foreign conquest by free-willed human beings of any nationality. Psychopaths, by their very nature, cannot decenter and put themselves in the place of the "other," and they cannot see that getting brutalized by an alien invader will be responded to by widespread resistance. They are worse than fools; they are profoundly evil.

[G_j]

7. "the US defeat in Vietnam was due to a lack of will "

how very unfortunate that this myth is nurtured and passed on.
No doubt many of the troops in Iraq now have been taught this fairytale.
If America refuses to 'grow up' and let go of this lie, how can the ghosts of Vietnam ever be set to rest?

The current administration has decided that the answer is to strike with a bigger, badder club and denies the deeper, core lessons. It owes it to all those who gave their lives, to acknowledge those bloody lessons as a gift and humbly learn from them.
But once again lives are being snuffed out and destroyed because of a myth. How many times will this terrible scenario be repeated?
It is a cause of indescribable shame, and the 'karma' just keeps piling up.

[eridani]

10. Lack of will to totally flatten the place is very good, IMO

It's just like Iraq. If the population is against you, you can 'win' only by mass slaughter. Mass slaughter would be a major political defeat also, so either way you lose.

[Christ was Socialist]

8. Has america Ever really won a war?

We tend to only invade countries that are miniscule. And ww2 was the allies+ hitlers mistakes. Had he not been so drugged up or the japanese waited to attack they had it won. Not to mention we dropped an a bomb on japan as they were going to surrender. France sacrificed for the revolution. Can you imagine us v china or north korea? We already got our asses kicked there before.

[keithyboy]

9. What I want to know is how did Viet Nam being 'communist' hurt us?

How long have they been communist? Don't we have good relations with them now? So why is Cuba a problem? The truth is, the fat-cat corporcrats just can't take competition. From 'socialism' or 'communism.'