Small Wars Journal
  • "In 1991 the Gulf War showed everyone how not to fight us, but the 2003 invasion of Iraq showed everybody how to fight us."
    -- David Kilcullen
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  • “With no other security forces on hand, U.S. military was left to confront, almost alone, an Iraqi insurgency and a crime rate that grew worse throughout the year, waged in part by soldiers of the disbanded army and in part by criminals who were released from prison.”
    -- John Spratt
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    -- David Kilcullen ('Counterinsugency' Dedication)

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"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

“Smoke and Mirrors”: An Examination of Information Warfare’s Capabilities and the U.S. Defense Against Them
by Alan Cunningham | Thu, 10/29/2020 - 6:13am | 0 comments
In the start of 2020, much of the world and virtually all of the United States was consumed by news reports and developments about COVID-19, a new strain of the Coronavirus respiratory disease. Hysteria was rampant with people buying toilet paper and masks and gloves, despite news agencies and international health organizations urging against this; some did this of their own accord, but it is undeniable the effect that social media websites (like Facebook) and “news” agencies (like InfoWars) had on inciting this hysteria. Not only was misinformation spread about what individual countries were experiencing, but about the cause of the virus.
THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF US ARMY DOCTRINE, 1974-1976
by David C. Rasmussen | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 8:52pm | 0 comments
The political divisiveness and distrust that built up around the Nixon Administration as a result of the Watergate cover-ups and investigations, ending with President Nixon’s resignation in August 1974, created a backlash to policies associated with Nixon such as détente with the Russians. Even though President Ford tried to maintain continuity with Nixon’s policies, the policy of détente had become so toxic to both Democrats and Republicans, that President Ford was forced to completely abandon it during the 1976 Republican presidential primary campaign. It was within this rare political context of bipartisan unity that the Army had the rationale it needed to make its largest doctrinal shift in the post-World War II era.
Why the West Should NOT Worry about ISIS External Operations
by Pasar Sherko | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 8:32pm | 0 comments
Directing violent operations against the west has been a major threat coming from Salafi-jihadi groups. While the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda is the most widely-known external attack, since the declaration of the ISIS caliphate in June 2014, conducting external operations is almost exclusive to the Islamic State.
The Greed versus Grievance Theory and the 2011 Libyan Civil War: Why grievance offers a wider perspective for understanding the conflict outbreak
by Paolo Pizzolo | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 8:16pm | 0 comments
This paper will describe the Greed versus Grievance Theory and why it is a useful theoretical framework to address the incentives for the outbreak of the 2011 Libyan Civil War. Specifically, it will argue that, although the greed argument can partly contribute in explaining the motivations that led the anti-Gaddafi rebel front to mobilize, the grievance argument renders a broader explanation to the uprising, as it includes relevant variables typical of Gaddafi’s regime, like: inequal income distribution, unemployment, lack of political rights, nepotism, and corruption.
Ukraine, a New Way Forward
by Sean McLaughlin | Tue, 10/27/2020 - 9:35pm | 0 comments
On July 1st, the Russian people approved a constitutional amendment that reset Vladimir Putin's Presidential term tally to zero, thus allowing him to remain in office until 2036 potentially. This could make Putin a President for life since he could potentially be 83 years old when his time in office ends. This is bad news for Ukraine because it ends any hope that a change of leadership in the Kremlin will lead to a negotiated end to the Russian backed insurgency in the east. Ukraine needs to now accept this hard reality and take a long-range strategic approach that will change the political dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine's favor.
PSYOP During the Counter - Lords Resistance Army Campaign
by Billy Carter , by Isaac Odhiambo, by Jonathan Underwood | Tue, 10/27/2020 - 3:11pm | 0 comments
This case study is part of a larger body of work researched and produced by the students of the Military Information Support Operations (MISO) Program Design and Assessment Course at Ft. Bragg, NC. This body of work examines conflict scenarios with emphasis on determining the Psychological Operations (PSYOP) efforts and activities employed by the various competitive actors in the area of operations.
Trying to Coordinate Force in the Sahel: The G5 Sahel
by Lawrence E. Cline | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 10:12pm | 0 comments
The Sahel region in Africa continues to be one of the most unstable regions in the world, with a variety of jihadist groups continuing to launch attacks. Although originally focused in Mali, it has metastasized into a major threat to bordering countries. The most critical security requirements continue to fall on the local military and police forces. Both before and after the external military and peace enforcement missions, local forces have had significant issues with maintaining security
Joint Operational Design, Re-imagined…
by Andrew ‘Buster’ Crabb | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 10:00pm | 0 comments
Operational design has been adopted into Joint Doctrine. The Armed Services and US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) have also, in different forms, adopted operational design. As currently captured in JP 5-0 (Joint Planning), Joint Operational Design is seriously limited in both its usefulness and application. Joint Operational Design needs to be re-imagined.
Quantifying Chaos in the Era of COVID19 - Reconceptualizing Threat Across the Western Hemisphere
by Jason Christensen | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 9:03pm | 0 comments
While it is imperative to leverage personal military experiences, it is also important to recognize our experiences have the capacity to result in inaccurate assumptions, conclusions, or implicit bias. The simple solution is to integrate data into our decision-making process rather than solely relying on observations of deployed forces, leadership experience, or self-assessments. For Psychological Operations (PSYOP), this poses a severe issue, as well as a new opportunity: educate target audiences with credible data and tailor associated messaging.
Making Peace in Deeply Divided Societies: the Case of Mindanao in the southern Philippines
by Jose Mikhail Perez | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 8:30pm | 0 comments
In this article, our goal is to explain the factors why making peace in ethnically-divided societies, such as Mindanao, are often hard to secure. The primary argument that this article proposes is that the settlement of peace processes in ethnically divided societies are more likely to experience more cycles of violence during peace transitions. This argument is based from the various studies on ethnic conflicts after the Cold War where peaceful transitions in heterogeneous societies are more prone to interethnic violence while undergoing democratization.

Blog Posts

TERRORISM FUTURES: Evolving Technology and TTPs Use
by SWJ Editors | Thu, 10/29/2020 - 5:08pm | 0 comments

TERRORISM FUTURES: Evolving Technology and TTPs Use

10/29/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Thu, 10/29/2020 - 9:41am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day’s news.
10/29/2020 News & Commentary – Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Thu, 10/29/2020 - 9:02am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day’s news.
Gangs in lockdown: Impact of Covid-19 restrictions on gangs in east and southern Africa
by SWJ Editors | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 2:27pm | 0 comments

Gangs in lockdown: Impact of Covid-19 restrictions on gangs in east and southern Africa

10/28/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 9:34am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day’s news.
10/28/2020 News & Commentary – Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Wed, 10/28/2020 - 8:57am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day’s news.
10/27/2020 News & Commentary - National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Tue, 10/27/2020 - 2:29pm | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/27/2020 News & Commentary - Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Tue, 10/27/2020 - 1:34pm | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/26/2020 News & Commentary - National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 8:54am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/26/2020 News & Commentary - Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Mon, 10/26/2020 - 8:26am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/25/2020 News & Commentary - National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Sun, 10/25/2020 - 12:41pm | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/25/2020 News & Commentary - Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Sun, 10/25/2020 - 12:29pm | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
The Costs and Benefits of Unconventional Warfare and Subversion - Modern War Institute
by SWJ Editors | Sat, 10/24/2020 - 7:17pm | 0 comments

An excellent podcast from the Modern War Institute.

10/24/2020 News & Commentary - National Security
by Dave Maxwell | Sat, 10/24/2020 - 11:35am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.
10/24/2020 News & Commentary - Korea
by Dave Maxwell | Sat, 10/24/2020 - 11:17am | 0 comments
A roundup of the day's news.