 Bait and bleed

Bait and bleed is a military strategy described by international relations theorist John J. Mearsheimer in his book on offensive realism, "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics".The aim is to induce rival states to engage in a protracted war of attrition against each other "so that they bleed each other white" while the baiter who encouraged the conflict remains on the sidelines and maintains its military strength.