Small Wars Journal
  • “It's so damn complex. If you ever think you have the solution to this, you're wrong and you're dangerous.”
    -- Lieutenant General (Ret.) H.R. McMaster
  • “Strategic pioneers who create theories, concepts, and other intellectual tools for use by doers have been scarcer than hen’s teeth throughout human history. Sun Tzu, Mahan, Liddell Hart, Herman Kahn, and Bernard Brodie, the world’s first nuclear strategist, are prominent exceptions. Lenin, Mao, Giap, Billy Mitchell, and a handful of others who practiced what they preach, remain even rarer.”
    -- Colonel (Ret.) John Collins, The Warlord Emeritus
  • “Tunnel systems and irregular urban warfare are essentially advanced methods of cover and concealment. Given that the mission of the infantry is to “locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver,” if the enemy can prevent us from locating him or closing with him, it will be nearly impossible for us to destroy him.”
    -- William Birdzell
  • “So, I’m going to give you a proposed solution,” Zinni told the group. “I’m going to say we need to create an interagency command” to manage America’s response to complex or “hybrid” security crises. “I hate to use that word, ‘command,’ because I don’t mean it to be military.”
    -- General (Ret.) Anthony Zinni
  • “As our Afghan partners began to understand the value of 1st SFAB advisors, they asked us for more. So our teams partnered with more and more Afghan units as the deployment progressed.”
    -- BG Scott Jackson, 1st SFAB Commander

Home, Above Feeds, Annoucement

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New and now available at Amazon - Blood and Concrete: 21st Century Conflict in Urban Centers and Megacities provides a foundation for understanding urban operations and sustaining urban warfare research. This Small Wars Journal (SWJ) Anthology documents over a decade of writings on urban conflict. In addition to essays originally published at SWJ it adds new content including an introduction by the editors, a preface on “Blood and Concrete” by David Kilcullen, a foreword "Urban Warfare Studies" by John Spencer, a postscript “Cities in the Crossfire: The Rise of Urban Violence” by Margarita Konaev, and an afterword “Urban Operations: Meeting Challenges, Seizing Opportunities, Improving the Approach” by Russell W. Glenn. These essays frame the discussion found in the collection’s remaining 49 chapters. Blood and Concrete continues the legacy of Small Was Journal's coverage of urban operations, conflict and combat. - Dave Dilegge, Robert J. Bunker, John P. Sullivan, and Alma Keshavarz, Editors.

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The Coast Guard cutter Kiska (WPB-1336) takes part in a training exercise near Apra Harbor off the coast of Santa Rita, Guam, 14 May 2019. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jasen Moreno-Garcia.

"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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Journal

War With Iran? - Error, Manipulation and President Donald Trump's "Strategy" of Incoherence
by Louis René Beres | Mon, 05/20/2019 - 2:57am | 2 comments
To some extent, there is nothing new under the sun. Fabrication and folly are hardly unknown to US presidential policies on war and peace. Before President Donald Trump commits further to any new or expanding military operations against Iran, therefore, it would be prudent to look back at some of this country's previous war policy manipulations and errors.
Calibrating Civil Affairs Forces for Human Geography
by Mike Karlson | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 3:39pm | 2 comments
A fundamental aspect to understanding human geography, insofar as it relates to the entirety of the academic field of geography, is gaining a grasp on the sheer breadth of it. The subdisciplines of geography can be bifurcated between the physical and the social sciences. “When geography concentrates on the distribution of physical features, such as climate, soil, and vegetation, it is a physical science. When it studies cultural features, such as language, industries, and cities, geography is a social science”.
Even Amorphous Systems Have Centers of Gravity
by Dale C. Eikmeier | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 3:05am | 4 comments
Can an amorphous system characterized by low hierarchy, dispersal, and decentralization have a Center of Gravity (CoG)? I say, “Yes,” because the purpose of the system determines the CoG, not the structure. However, to many theorists the answer is a resounding no, because the system’s structure is the determinate. They claim a system must be concentrated and centralized to have a targetable CoG. Both answers have compelling arguments. Which is correct depends on one’s conceptual foundation of the CoG concept.
The Nuts and Bolts of Leaving Afghanistan
by Rick Martin | Fri, 05/17/2019 - 12:37pm | 2 comments
Ultimately, the most ideal way to facilitate an orderly and deliberate U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan is to end the war entirely. The Trump administration’s decision last year to talk to the Taliban and engage the insurgency's leadership in negotiations was a giant step in the right direction.
Mad Science Fiction: Fight and Win in Contested Multi-Domain Operations
by Nick Chadwick | Thu, 05/16/2019 - 12:31am | 1 comment
The Mad Scientist team executed its 2019 Science Fiction Writing Contest to glean insights about the future fight with a near-peer competitor in 2030. We received 77 submissions from both within and outside of the DoD. This story was one of our semi-finalists and features a futuristic look at warfare and its featured technologies.
Deterring “Competition Short of War”: Are Gray Zones the Ardennes of our Modern Maginot Line of Traditional Deterrence?
by Robert C. Jones | Tue, 05/14/2019 - 12:51am | 7 comments
Unconventional Deterrence is not Unconventional Warfare any more than Nuclear Deterrence is Nuclear Warfare. The goal of UD is not to destabilize the societies of our enemies, rather the goal of UD is to deter our enemies from destabilizing our own society, and those of our Allies and Partners. While most of my contemporaries overly fixate on the strengths of our opponents and how they match up with inherent weaknesses of our own; I am far more interested in where their inherent weaknesses play to our strengths.
Assessment of the Efficacy of the French Military Intervention in the Northern Mali Conflict
by Greg Olsen | Mon, 05/13/2019 - 1:22am | 3 comments
This article is published as part of the Small Wars Journal and Divergent Options Writing Contest which runs from March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019. The French military intervention in the Northern Mali Conflict in 2013 (Operation Serval) was a military success and met the criteria for success established by civilian leadership, however, it did not alter the trajectory of conflict in the region. It subsequently became conjoined to a United Nations liberal peacebuilding effort in Mali with low prospects for rapid success, resulting in a lengthy “forever war” in the Sahel.
Mad Science Fiction: Battlefield 2030
by Marc Meeker | Mon, 05/13/2019 - 12:20am | 0 comments
The Mad Scientist team executed its 2019 Science Fiction Writing Contest to glean insights about the future fight with a near-peer competitor in 2030. We received 77 submissions from both within and outside of the DoD. This story was one of our semi-finalists and features a futuristic look at warfare and its featured technologies.
Moral Deadening
by Daniel Phillips | Sun, 05/12/2019 - 5:06am | 1 comment
Typically, Americans are raised from a young age to mind their manners, wait their turn, share, and most of all to not fight. They are raised as members of a non-aggressive society that continues to discourage competition more and more by the year. So imagine, after a life time of learning societal norms, you enter a new profession that begins to shift everything you thought you knew.
Battle at Kitee
by Cassandra Ulrich | Fri, 05/10/2019 - 7:19pm | 0 comments
The Mad Scientist team executed its 2019 Science Fiction Writing Contest to glean insights about the future fight with a near-peer competitor in 2030. We received 77 submissions from both within and outside of the DoD. This story was one of our semi-finalists and features a futuristic look at warfare and its featured technologies.

Blog Posts

Once Again, Iraq Caught Up in Tensions Between U.S. and Iran
by Associated Press | Mon, 05/20/2019 - 3:30am | 0 comments
"When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down with Iraqi officials in Baghdad last week as tensions mounted between America and Iran, he delivered a nuanced message: If you’re not going to stand with us, stand aside."
As Tensions Rise, U.S. Lawmakers Await Briefings on Iran
by Voice of America | Mon, 05/20/2019 - 3:22am | 0 comments
"Later this week, U.S. officials are expected to brief lawmakers on what has led the administration to strengthen America’s military posture in the Middle East, while evacuating non-essential personnel from diplomatic facilities in Iraq. Members of Congress of both parties have been demanding the White House share information about perceived threats from Iran."
There’s No Compelling Reason for the US to Go to War with Iran – Yet
by The Los Angeles Times | Mon, 05/20/2019 - 2:17am | 0 comments
"A compelling case could be made for the use of U.S. military force if Iran posed an immediate threat to vital American interests."
Kenya, Cameroon Military Fighting Terrorism Through Development
by Voice of America | Sun, 05/19/2019 - 2:14pm | 0 comments
"A delegation from the Kenyan military is sharing experience on how the Cameroon military engineering corps has taken over road construction projects in Boko Haram terrorism prone areas to use the example and develop areas of its territory threatened by Al-Shabab which they say is still a threat. The Kenyan delegation has been in Cameroon for several days."
As Tensions Rise, Could Iran Mistake Airliners for Warplanes?
by Associated Press | Sun, 05/19/2019 - 12:07pm | 0 comments
"Commercial airliners flying over the Persian Gulf risk being targeted by “miscalculation or misidentification” from the Iranian military amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the U.S., American diplomats warned."
U.S., Taliban Blame Each Other for Acting Against Afghan Peace
by Voice of America | Sun, 05/19/2019 - 12:00pm | 0 comments
"Taliban and American military officials have taken to social media to accuse each other of acting against peace building efforts in conflict-torn Afghanistan."
Army’s ‘Google Earth on Steroids’ to Include Inside of Buildings
by National Defense Magazine | Sun, 05/19/2019 - 11:07am | 0 comments
"The Army’s ambitious plan to re-create the world in fine resolution for its new training and simulation program will include the inside of buildings."
Drug Dealers Masqueraded as FARC to Enter Colombia’s Peace Process
by InSight Crime | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 11:02pm | 0 comments
"The capture of a former FARC leader in Colombia has revealed how he tried to falsely enlist drug traffickers within the country’s peace process, registering them as guerrillas having laid down their arms in order to grant them legal protection."
Trump’s Sanctions on Iran are Hitting Hezbollah, and it Hurts
by The Washington Post | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 10:37pm | 0 comments
"The powerful Lebanese Hezbollah militia has thrived for decades on generous cash handouts from Iran, spending lavishly on benefits for its fighters, funding social services for its constituents and accumulating a formidable arsenal that has helped make the group a significant regional force, with troops in Syria and Iraq."
Climbing Hamburger Hill 50 Years After The Vietnam War’s Brutal, Haunting Battle
by The Washington Post | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 10:15pm | 0 comments
"It is one of the most famous battles of the long Vietnam War. It inspired a movie and congressional hearings, symbolizing for some the incredible bravery of the American infantry in Vietnam and for others the futility and waste of the war."
Report: Trump May Pardon Some Linked to War Crimes
by Reuters | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 9:45pm | 0 comments
"U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for files to be prepared on pardoning several U.S. military members accused of or convicted of war crimes, including one slated to stand trial on charges of shooting unarmed civilians while in Iraq, The New York Times reported Saturday."
Military Pressure and Body Counts in Afghanistan
by War on the Rocks | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 1:29pm | 0 comments
"Recently... the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction disclosed that “the U.S.-commanded NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan... is no longer assessing district-level insurgent or government control or influence.” The revelation that the U.S. military was no longer providing — or even keeping track of — data on district control led to a flurry of reporting, a lot of questions, and even some accusations that the Pentagon was hiding information that was likely to be embarrassing or not in keeping with a narrative of progress."
In Southern Afghanistan, US Airstrikes Kill Up to 18 Members of Afghan Forces
by The Washington Post | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 1:16pm | 0 comments
"U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan killed as many as 18 Afghan police officers late Thursday during heavy ground fighting with Taliban forces near the capital of Helmand province, Afghan officials and provincial leaders said Friday."
Colombian Army’s Kill Orders Put Civilians at Risk, Officers Say
by The New York Times | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 12:17pm | 1 comment
"The head of Colombia’s army, frustrated by the nation’s faltering efforts to secure peace, has ordered his troops to double the number of criminals and militants they kill, capture or force to surrender in battle — and possibly accept higher civilian casualties in the process, according to written orders and interviews with senior officers."
U.S. Special Ops Command at Odds with Air Force Over Need for Light-Attack Aircraft
by Defense News | Sat, 05/18/2019 - 4:18am | 0 comments
"U.S. Special Operations Command is bullish at the prospect of buying a light-attack aircraft, according to the command’s top leaders — a marked contrast from the U.S. Air Force, which wants to expand the effort to other types of platforms."