“Mosul, Raqqa, and ISIS - and even Iraq - are only the prelude to a struggle in the rest of Syria that may well last for years.”

-- Anthony Cordesman

Soldiers of the U.S. 25th Infantry Division

Search and Destroy Mission - Mekong Delta - 9 August 1967

"Small wars are operations undertaken under executive authority, wherein military force is combined with diplomatic pressure in the internal or external affairs of another state whose government is unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory for the preservation of life and of such interests as are determined by the foreign policy of our Nation."

-- Small Wars Manual, 1940

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Security Force Assistance Brigades: It’s About Time

by Morgan Smiley

September 16, 2017 02:00 PM | Comments (0)

A reduced U.S. military footprint around the world coupled with an increase in state and non-state threats has forced us to reconsider our strategy and posture.

Preventing OIF III: Using the Interagency Conflict Assessment Framework to Achieve a Sustainable Iraqi Security Force

by Christina Bembenek, Darrel Choat, Randy Hughes and Thomas Petersen

September 16, 2017 11:07 AM | Comments (0)

The current military-focused strategy is insufficient. ISAF advisers’ efforts alone cannot overcome the powerful dynamics ready to tear the proud Iraqi force apart.

Zapad 2017

by David Murphy

September 15, 2017 11:37 AM | Comments (1)

NATO needs to deploy more SF units specifically trained to counter the deployment of Russian airborne, Spetsnaz and “little green men” as part of its potential countermeasures.

MISO Product Testing in a Non-Permissive COIN Environment

by Brian J. Hancock

September 13, 2017 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

When employed correctly Military Information Support Operations  as a force multiplier enjoys unparalleled capability to shape, and ultimately win, the hearts and minds of the populace.

SWJ Book Review - “The Muhammad Code: How a Desert Prophet Brought You ISIS, al Qaeda, and Boko Haram”

by Jonathan K. Zartman

September 13, 2017 09:12 AM | Comments (0)

The author has written an extraordinarily thorough and richly descriptive argument, with a variety of supporting themes.

swj blog

Ken Burns’ Vietnam War Docu-Series Premieres Today

by Military Times

September 17, 2017 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

More than 80 people were interviewed for “The Vietnam War,” including veterans, anti-war protesters and Vietnamese on both sides of the conflict.

Documentary Review - Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ‘The Vietnam War’

by The Washington Post

September 16, 2017 09:13 AM | Comments (0)

George Will reviews Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's “The Vietnam War” - “a masterpiece — and a model for assessing our history”.

U.S. Plan for New Afghan Force Revives Fears of Militia Abuses

by The New York Times

September 16, 2017 08:53 AM | Comments (1)

“The size of the new force is yet to be finalized, but it could number more than 20,000, according to a senior Afghan official.”

Pakistan Rallies Against U.S. Plan in Afghanistan

by The Wall Street Journal

September 16, 2017 08:17 AM | Comments (0)

“Pakistan’s top diplomat will reproach the U.S. for its new Afghanistan policy at the United Nations General Assembly next week.”

The Islamic State Is On The Run In Iraq, But Some Major Battles Remain

by The Washington Post

September 15, 2017 03:48 PM | Comments (0)

"Those fights also will include the battle for the city of Hawija, whose location in north-central Iraq has made it an ISIS launch-pad for small but deadly raids in nearby cities."