More Than Just a Nuisance

Strategic bombing against civilian targets was attempted on a grand scale during the Second World War against Britain, Germany, and Japan. Although the physical destruction was great, the coercive effect on the leadership of these states was questionable. However, in 1991, air attacks of negligible military or destructive value against cities in Israel imperiled the very existence of the allied coalition arrayed against Saddam Hussein. If large, continuous, destructive air attacks against civilian targets did not work in the past, why should small, brief, minimally destructive attacks coerce leaders now?