Air Power, Insurgency and the “War on Terror” - Prof. Joel Hayward's ...

“Looks Suspicious”: The US Marines <strong>Air</strong> Campaign against <strong>the</strong> S<strong>and</strong>ino Insurgents of Nicaragua 1927-1933
near some isolated houses. The report <strong>the</strong>n continued: “Both shacks were bombed <strong>and</strong>
ground strafed. Nothing was developed. O<strong>the</strong>rwise <strong>the</strong> area appeared normal.” 186
The Marine reports are filled with example after example of <strong>the</strong>se types of attacks. Since
all <strong>the</strong> Segovians were “potential” b<strong>and</strong>its, all <strong>the</strong>ir actions were “suspicious”. Everyone
<strong>and</strong> everything was “suspicious”. All Marine activities were <strong>the</strong>refore justified since
no “civilians” were targeted. Historian Michael Schroeder suggests that <strong>the</strong> Marines’
definitions of suspicious activity “would be laughable were <strong>the</strong> results not so tragic.” 187
Yet <strong>the</strong> Marines sometimes expressed frustrations even with <strong>the</strong>se limitations. They
felt that <strong>the</strong>se restrictions were imposed by outside political pressures. Major Rowell
complained of <strong>the</strong> restraints forced on <strong>the</strong>m so as not to potentially upset public
opinion back in <strong>the</strong> US since, as he noted, Americans are “sensitive to bloodshed”.
He explained:
we may not bomb towns because it would not be consistent with
a policy advocated at some international convention. The result
is that all jungle villages become safety zones for <strong>the</strong> enemy. The
safety of non-combatants becomes a matter of prime importance.
The b<strong>and</strong>its <strong>the</strong>n employ screens of women to obtain immunity
against air attacks. The use of chemicals, even tear gas, is prohibited
for <strong>the</strong> reason that it might cause our international viewpoint on this
subject to be misunderstood … We are required to conform to all
<strong>the</strong> rules of civilized warfare, while <strong>the</strong> enemy will torture prisoners,
murder <strong>the</strong> wounded <strong>and</strong> mutilate <strong>the</strong> dead. 188
Still, despite <strong>the</strong> limitations, <strong>the</strong> Marines officers were aware of <strong>the</strong> extent of <strong>the</strong> destruction.
At times <strong>the</strong>y even joked about it. Within <strong>the</strong> Guardia newsletter for <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn zone,
The Great Nor<strong>the</strong>rn News, <strong>the</strong>re is a poem that, tongue-in-cheek, described <strong>the</strong>ir activities.
The names were all officers in <strong>the</strong> area. The poem has a number of o<strong>the</strong>r stanzas along
similar lines:
Croka <strong>and</strong> Perfley, Carlson <strong>and</strong> Good
Slashing <strong>and</strong> cutting <strong>and</strong> searching for blood
Levonski <strong>and</strong> Livermore, Salley behind
Touching off shacks til <strong>the</strong>y were half blind. 189
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong> as <strong>Air</strong> Terror
Clearly civilians were attacked. In <strong>the</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ard history of <strong>the</strong> war, Neill Macaulay called
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<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong>, <strong>Insurgency</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror”