Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
The Rhodesian Army's actions just ensured increasing cost to ZANLA and forced an international dimension in terms of a negotiated settlement and internationally observed cease fire. Two things that would not have happened if they hadn't had some success.
Yet they could have had those thing many years earlier, arguably under much better conditions--but didn't, because the Rhodesian Army was so successful that Smith couldn't see the writing on the wall.

And there lies, IMHO, the paradox of Rhodesian counterinsurgency.