The Case for Targeting Leadership in War

Authors

Bruce A. Ross

Abstract

Following the 1986 air raid on Libya, administration officials vehemently denied that Libyan leader Muammer Qadhafi had been a target. Secretary of State George Schultz stated flatly, "We oppose that sort of thing." During Desert Shield, when the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Michael J. Dugan suggested Saddam Hussein might be a target, he was summarily dismissed. President George Bush insisted, "We're not targeting any individual"; as General Schwarzkopf added, "That's not the way we fight wars anyway."

Recommended Citation

Ross, Bruce A. (1993) "The Case for Targeting Leadership in War," Naval War College Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol46/iss1/6