For most of the world this is a senseless war on a forgotten continent. But for the Ethiopians driven from their homes by Eritrea's invasion, there can be no more just cause to fight for. And for every fallen soldier there are dozens more turned away from the recruiting centers. Ours is not a conscript army like Eritrea's.

That Ethiopia did not drive the Eritrean invaders out on this particular day is not for a lack of courage, determination, or heroism. The soldiers on the battlefield have demonstrated those qualities beyond the call of duty. But it was not enough today. Yet there can be absolutely no doubt that the day will come when the remnants of Eritrea's army will flee from their trenches in disarray. It is not yet one month since the Eritrean Mereb-Setit front collapsed in this manner.

Ethiopia can easily mobilize five times the forces it has now and overrun the Eritrean trenches by brute force. But still, one must question the necessity for a frontal attack on the Eritrean trenches. There are other, less costly ways to get rid of the Eritrean army from our land. There are other areas to confront Eritrea on Ethiopian terms (eg aerial warfare on strategic Eritrean targets.). It just requires a great deal of patience and a willingness to approach the problem in a new way. The best solution, of course, is for Eritrea to simply pull its army out of the areas it invaded (including Zalanbessa and Alitiena) and sincerely commit itself to peace.

- Dagmawi