Editorial
In the last issue of the year, we present
you with a mixed collection of articles, covering strategic
studies, defence policy and war studies. Besides the range
of coverage, we hope this selection has captured different
sentiments, variously one of looking back at history and
drawing lessons from it, one of looking forward to meet
the challenges of an uncertain future, one a sharing of
a personal experience.
As promised, we bring you a personal experience
from a senior officer who participated in a peacekeeping
mission. We kick off this issue with COL Mark Koh's UNTAET:
A Civil - Military Insight in which he gives an insight
intot eh SAF's participation in the UN peacekeeping mission
In the next essay, China-Taiwan Polemics, How the Die
was Cast Against Durable Peace, LTC Richard Pereira
argues that the adoption of a confrontational approach by
China and the increasing posturing for independence by Taiwan
have not been positive for peaceful reunification, and may
even lead to armed hostilities.
In his interesting and insightful essay,
Opening Postmodern Parachutes and Landing with the Operational
Art of De(con)struction, MAJ Irvin Lim contends that
we live in a fundamentally changed world and challenges
us to open the "postmodern parachutes of our minds"
and "gear up for the new battle call". The essay
examines the precepts of postmodernist theory, its influence
on Operational Art and presents the author's views on how
the Op Art deconstruction process can be achieved in the
military.
In Women in Combat, An Indispensible
Army 21 Component Or a Simple Case of Equal Opportunity?
the age-old contentious issue of whether women should be
deployed in combat comes under fresh scrutiny under MAJ
Alex Tan. Making reference to the US military policy towards
women in combat, and drawing illustrations from examples
of women being deployed in combat in recent US operations,
the author looks at both the arguments for and against women
in combat and puts forth his views on how this issue can
be handles transparently in the SAF. LTC T Vijayakumar examines
the increasing trend towards defence collaboration in the
region, the challenges for collaboration and analyses what
this spells for Singapore and what part Singapore can play
in his essay Defence Collaboration: Policy Implications
for Singapore.
When the end objective in war is to seek
victory, how much violence is justified and when is it considered
unethical and imoral? MAJ Jensen Wee attempts to answer
this in his essay, Jus in Bello, and its Place in the
Place of Victory. Analysing some examples from history,
he shows just how complex it is to apply jus in bello
or the just conduct of war. In the last essay, Was Japan
a Mahanian Sea Powre in WWII? MAJ Andrew Teo starts
by examining the principles contained in Mahan's theory
of sea power. The essay then critically examines Japan's
naval strategy, policy and actions in World War Two and
compares them against Mahan's theory.
You should have received the POINTER
Supplement on Paya Lebar's 20th Anniversary. We hope you
will enjoy the Supplement as well as this selection of articles.
Finally for those who have submitted essays for the CDF
Essay Competition, thank you. We will bring you the winning
entries in the Apr - Jun 2002 issue.
On a final note, let me end by wishing
all our readers a happy and productive year ahead.
Editor, POINTER
