Frontline

Frontline delves into the Iraqi insurgency. What's interesting is that Kalev Sepp, their counter-insurgency expert concedes that this insurgency is different than our historical experience. Unfortunately, despite the fact that it is completely different, he fixates on classic counter-insurgency doctrine as a solution (which is the basis for his optimism).

What's funny is that almost all of the knowledgeable people in this space fall into this same trap.

Comments

[Andy]

I noticed that as well, John. It's like diagnosing someone with cancer, and then prescribing a children's aspiring to try and cure it.

[a z]

OTOH, it was nice to see the growing tensions betweeen the nationalists and the Islamists in an American program. To hear the White House talk they're all "terrorists" with no distinction made between the various groups. That kind of simplification makes it difficult to promote a military strategy or political discussion.

Or so it appears to this simpleton.

[John Robb]

From the same video: I like this statement from Michael Ware about the aims of foreign Jihadis:

"Idealistically, they're striving to create or to return to the ultimate Islamic caliphate, where borders dissolve and nation-states cease to exist, and it's one great Muslim world stretching from Spain through North Africa, the Middle East, all the way down to Indonesia and into parts of Asia."

When describing this, most people tend to leave out "borders dissolve and nation-states cease to exist" However, to people that understand the mechanism of war involved, it makes all the difference in the world.

John