http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1621095.stm
Saturday, 27 October, 2001
War View: 'We can't predict the outcome but action is vital'
The inherent unpredictability of war should not be mistaken for an excuse for pacifism, says Dr Christopher Bassford, of the US National War College, in a personal view.
One of the oddest phrases in the English language is 'the foreseeable future'. The time period it describes varies with the phenomenon under discussion.
Had someone told you (or the CIA) in 1979 that a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan would: a) be defeated, b) lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union within a dozen years, and c) set the stage for demolition of the World Trade Center in 2001, you (and the CIA) probably would have suggested medication.
