Similarities Between Afghanistan And The Fall Of South Vietnam

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Fabian Aguilar and Lance Cpl. Michael Fitch II, use the scopes on their weapons to scan the area while posting security during a patrol near the Helmand River, Afghanistan, March 24, 2012. Aguilar is a assistant gunner and Fitch is a point man, both assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez

Will Afghanistan’s War End In The Same Way As Vietnam’s? -- Scott Van Wynsberghe, National Post

Massive artillery barrages and waves of tanks. That’s not the way most of us think of the Vietnam War. But so it was 40 years ago today, on March 30, 1972, when North Vietnam started the end game for its sister-republic, South Vietnam. The attack launched by Hanoi — which it called the Nguyen Hue Offensive, but was dubbed the Easter Offensive by Americans — overturned the image of the Vietnam War as an endless series of tactical raids and ambushes. What went wrong for the South back then remains ominously instructive for Afghanistan today.

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My Comment: There are many differences between the two conflicts. North Vietnam was heavily supported by the Soviet Union and China .... and with heavy weapons. The Taliban do not even come close to the arsenal that the North Vietnamese had, nor do they have the material support from a major power. The North also had a comprehensive command and control structure .... the Taliban are not so comprehensive, and in fact they are fractured among many different groups.

As to similarities .... the big one that I can see is that the North Vietnamese were committed to win .... just like the Taliban are. In addition .... the North Vietnamese did have many supporters in the South .... just like the Taliban have in the Pashtun regions of Afghanistan.