Air Power was used fairly effectively during the Gulf War, but it was almost entirely old technology and did not win the war. Troops and tanks did. Air power certainly assisted, and did a better job than usual as well.
Milosevic capitulation had far more to do with the Russians withdrawing support IMHO.
<< If that is the case it would mean our President and our military leaders are incredibly stupid people that forgot to check the "facts" with you. >>
Our President and our military leaders are in complete agreement with me just the same. Good thing they don't think like you, otherwise they'd be smilingly assuring us that troops aren't necessary, technology and bombs lobbed from afar will soon have 'em surrendering en masse. Bush has, thankfully, never even hinted that this is the case. And I completely agree with him, and his military advisors.
Facts? Okay, here's a smidgen. About 250,000 bombs were dropped in 109,000 sorties by 2,800 fixed-wing aircraft during the Gulf war by our side. Less than 10% were "smart bombs." The rest---93.6% according to an Air Foce report released March 15, 1991---were dumb. [But, I bet over 90% of the airplay hype was smart bombs....]. So, the much-vaunted precision, surgical, technologically advanced bombing of the Gulf War was not quite what you thought, I'd guess. The Gulf War bombing was almost entirely dumb bombing.
For more facts, I'd suggest you get them the old-fashioned way, like I did: read. So, here's some further reading, should you elect to gingerly dip your toe into the waters of reality; come to your own conclusions.
1. John D. Morrocco and David Fulghum , "USAF Developed a 4,700-lb. Bomb in Crash Program to Attack Iraqi Military Leaders in Hardened Bunkers," Aviation Week & Space Technology, May 6, 1991: 85.
2. Robert A. Pape, Bombing to Win : Air Power and Coercion in War (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)
3. John Buckley, Air Power in the Age of Total War.
4. Barbara Starr, "FAEs Used to Clear Mines," Jane's Defense Weekly, February 23, 1991: 247.
5. Tony Capaccio , "McPeak: Unclear If Air War has Sapped Iraqi Will," Defense Week, February 4, 1991.
6. Washington Post , February 2, 1991: A14.
7. Mark Fineman , "Smoke Blots Out Sun in Bomb-Blasted Basra," Los Angeles Times, February 5, 1991.
8. Sven Lindqvist, A History of Bombing.
9. Rowan Scarborough , "Pool Report Aboard the USS Blue Ridge," Washington Times, February 27, 1991.
10. Michael Kelly, "Highway to Hell," New Republic, April 1991: 12.
11. Bill Gannon "Pool Report with the Tiger Brigade Outside Kuwait City," Newark Star-Ledger, February 27, 1991.
12. Robin Neillands, The Bomber War : The Allied Air Offensive Against Nazi Germany.
13. John Morrocco , "Looming Budget Cuts Threaten Future of Key HighTech Weapons," Aviation Week & Space Technology, April 22, 1991: 66-67.
14. Eric Schmitt, "Why Iraqi Battle Threat Fizzled: Allied Strengths and Enemy Weaknesses," New York Times, March 4,1991: A9.
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