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Originally Posted by Agamemnon
I suppose I just disagree with the 'principle' that increased violence will = reduced morale of the resistance. The US killed (or the War caused the deaths of...) millions (millions!) of Vietnamese between '65 and '75 (and the South Vietnamese did perform public executions/torture), but all it did was harden the resistance (which had been going on for about 40 years) of the people.
I suppose looking at it from joe-Iraqi's point of view (something none of us can probably do), it seems that witnessing the torture of Iraqis/Muslims by the US/US supported government would not necessarily disincline them to resist.
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The US was fighting for the wrong reasons in Vietnam and clearly did not understand their enemy - as well, the bad pub from home was really one of the huge factors that got them out of the war.
I remember watching Fog of War with Robert McNamera, how he met one of the Vietnamese officials a long time after the war - it was clear that the US had absolutely no idea why they were resisting. They went into the war with the idea to "save them from communism" where the Vietnamese viewed it as something far different and need to fight for their freedom.
Terror campaigns can be a rallying point, with that I agree with, but to a point. If you push and keep pushing eventually they will give and lose the will to fight. Vietnam was not also designed as a Terror campaign - if you put your mind to it, you can make it a lot more effective.