62-year old retired navy pilot called Harlan Ullman is the person who invented the "shock and awe" strategy as a way of overwhelming the enemy into realising that there is no point in fighting. It is designed to secure victory with minimal fighting and casualties. However the concept is often misunderstood by the press as massive firepower unleased to decimate the enemy.

According to Ullman, the initial assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein on the first day of the war is "classic shock and awe". If it had been successful it would have brought a quick conclusion to the war. The surprise is that the inventor of "shock and awe" himself does not support the present war. He would have preferred to wait for a second resolution from the UN. Iraq according to him, does not present a case of clear and present danger.

The Iraqis now are claiming that it is the coalition forces that are now in "shock and awe" after they have offered stiff resistance to the advancing forces. Whether we are shocked or awed, war is a reflection of a world gone awry.