Small Wars Journal
  • “For Dave Dilegge and Bill Nagle, founders and editors of Small Wars Journal. They gave the counterguerrilla underground a home, at a time when misguided leaders banned even the word ‘insurgency,’ though busily losing to one. Scholars, warriors, and agitators, Dave and Bill laid the foundation for battlefield success: our generation owes them a debt of gratitude.”
    -- David Kilcullen ('Counterinsugency' Dedication)
  • “The Vietnam War was arguably the most traumatic experience for the United States in the twentieth century. That is indeed a grim distinction in a span that included two world wars, the assassinations of two presidents and the resignation of another, the Great Depression, the Cold War, racial unrest, and the drug and crime waves.”
    -- Donald M. Goldstein
  • “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
  • “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
  • "It is always dangerous for soldiers, sailors or airmen to play at politics. They enter a sphere in which values are quite different from those to which they have hitherto been accustomed"
    -- Winston Churchill

Home, Above Feeds, Annoucement

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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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U.S. Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, provide M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle capabilities for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in eastern Syria on Nov. 13, 2019. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. DeAndre Pierce.

"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

Small Wars Journal publishes original works from authentic voices across the spectrum of stakeholders in small wars. We also link you to relevant goings on elsewhere.  Login with your SWJ Username to comment, or Register, it's free. You can start your own threads in the Small Wars Council discussion board, but note that the board requires a separate Council Username. Follow SWJ on Twitter @smallwars.

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Journal

Case Method Problem-Solving in an Uncertain Information Environment: The Novel Coronavirus Threat
by Thomas A. Drohan | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 11:55am | 0 comments
The case method of teaching and learning is used in business schools and law schools because they engage participants in active thinking about complex problems. Since the publication of Teaching and the Case Method by Christensen, Hansen and Moore in 1987, case method teaching has grown in popularity. The approach lends itself to meaningful assessment for businesses and government agencies seeking to improve effectiveness. In an uncertain, information-rich dynamic environment, open-ended learning guided by key questions can produce competitive solutions.
Gangs, Criminal Empires and Military Intervention in Cape Town’s Crime Wars
by John P. Sullivan | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 1:59am | 0 comments
The challenges to governance and states posed by gangs are increasingly recognized as a global concern. No longer just local, turf-oriented groups of local youths, seeking protection and forging a common identity, gangs are involved in the drug trade and other illicit economic interests. These ‘third generation gangs’ protect their markets and align with a range of transnational criminal organizations.
Will Rising U.S.-Iran Tensions Spark Afghan Proxy War?
by Michael V. Phelan, by Barmak Pazhwak, by Belquis Ahmadi | Mon, 02/10/2020 - 12:28pm | 0 comments
Rising tensions between the United States and Iran—illustrated and exacerbated by the January 3 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani—are rippling out beyond the Middle East. Now, American officials are voicing growing concern about Iranian activities in Afghanistan.
Afghan Women’s Views on Violent Extremism and Aspirations to a Peacemaking Role
by Haseeb Humayoon, by Mustafa Basij-Rasikh | Mon, 02/10/2020 - 1:07am | 0 comments
Recent efforts at settling the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan have featured an increasingly vibrant and visible display of women’s activism. Even with the support of the government and its international partners, Afghan women still face tremendous challenges to realizing their aspirations for a role in peacemaking. Based on extensive interviews throughout Afghanistan, this report attempts to better understand the changing public role of Afghan women today and their contributions to peacebuilding and ending violence.
All the King’s Men: Authoritarianism, Loyalty and the Syrian Collapse
by Brandon C. Patrick | Sun, 02/09/2020 - 7:27am | 0 comments
While the true social and economic origins of the Syrian civil war stretch back decades, the longstanding culture of government corruption and purchased loyalties hastened the final spiral toward war. Like in pre-war Iraq under Saddam Hussein, loyalty and favor had been traded like currency among the upper echelons of Syrian society since the early days of Hafez al-Assad’s rule.
SWJ Book Review – “Bait: The Battle of Kham Duc Special Forces Camp”
by W. R. Baker | Sat, 02/08/2020 - 10:29am | 0 comments
This gripping, eyewitness narrative and unique, deeply researched analysis of one of the least known large battles at the height of the Vietnam War radically contradicts all the other misinformed and misinterpreted accounts of it. This book is well written containing extensive end notes to backstop assertions.
What Happens When Sudan is Removed from the U.S. Terror List?
by Hilary Mossberg, by John Prendergast | Sat, 02/08/2020 - 8:31am | 0 comments
Its been nearly a year since Sudan’s longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir, was ousted from power. As the country moves to transition to democracy, its civilian government and Sudanese civil society have called on the U.S. government to remove Khartoum from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list. The Sentry’s Hilary Mossberg and John Prendergast recently argued that although delisting is an important for Sudan’s transition, it is just one of multiple steps needed—from both the U.S. and Sudan—in order for pro-democracy forces to achieve their goals.
The Role of Aid and Development in the Fight Against Extremism
by Leanne Erdberg | Fri, 02/07/2020 - 11:31am | 1 comment
As governments continue to search for ways to tackle the spread of violent extremism, increasing development efforts can help counter the belief that violent extremists present the only available option to improve one’s livelihood and bring about societal change. International assistance can address grievances that foster violent extremism, as well as help build resilience in practical and effective ways.
Fixing the Problem: Integrating Virtue Ethics into U.S. Special Operations Forces Selection, Education, and Training
by Benjamin Ordiway | Fri, 02/07/2020 - 10:05am | 1 comment
The findings of the recent ethics and culture review maintain a drumbeat that there is not a systemic ethics problem. As the report would have it, Congress and the public are encouraged to believe that the headlines are owed to the actions of a few bad apples. Should we expect and accept these spoiled fruits as an inevitable consequence of a strained force facing deployment after deployment?
Amid Humanitarian Crisis, Syrian Regime Intensifies Idlib Offensive
by Mona Yacoubian | Fri, 02/07/2020 - 12:28am | 0 comments
Of the three million people in Idlib province, U.N. sources estimate more than one million have been displaced—with approximately 586,000 displaced since December 1, and the number is rising rapidly. With Turkey and other nations closing their borders, and harsh winter conditions in the region, what is the humanitarian situation in Idlib?

Blog Posts

Tehran-Backed Hezbollah Steps in to Guide Iraqi Militias in Soleimani's Wake
by Reuters | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 9:40am | 0 comments
"Shortly after Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, the Tehran-backed Lebanese organization Hezbollah urgently met with Iraqi militia leaders, seeking to unite them in the face of a huge void left by their powerful mentor’s death."
After Decades Focused on Terrorism, Special Operations is Broadening its Horizons
by Military Times | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 9:21am | 0 comments
"With clear marching orders from the Defense Department to turn focus to competitors like China and Russia, the U.S. special operations community is at an inflection point."
At UN, Palestinian President Rejects Trump Peace Plan, But Open to Negotiations
by Voice of America | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 8:52am | 0 comments
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday not to accept a peace proposal put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, but left the door open to negotiations with Israel.
Army Reformulating ‘V Corps’ to Bulk Up in Europe
by The Wall Street Journal | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 8:44am | 0 comments
"With an eye on Russia, U.S. will form a new command post to coordinate with Europeans."
U.S. to Seek More Help from NATO to Counter Islamic State
by Associated Press | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 7:50am | 0 comments
"U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday he is looking to NATO allies for more help countering the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and in bolstering U.S. defense efforts in the Middle East more broadly."
U.S., Taliban Close to ‘Reduction in Violence’ Agreement
by Associated Press | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 7:34am | 0 comments
"President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there could be a U.S. agreement with the Taliban over the next days or weeks, but a withdrawal of American forces is not 'imminent.'"
Pentagon Slashes Funding for Islamic State Fight
by Al-Monitor | Wed, 02/12/2020 - 7:00am | 0 comments
"The Donald Trump administration is again set to slash funding for the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in a new budget request unveiled today, as Iraq’s leaders have publicly demanded an end to the US-led combat mission."
NATO Set for Iraq Troop Trainer-Swap to Mollify U.S. Demands
by Associated Press | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 3:45pm | 0 comments
"NATO countries are preparing to move more than 200 trainers working with the international force fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq to the military alliance’s own mission there helping to build up the Iraqi army in response to President Donald Trump's demand that U.S. allies do more in the Middle East, senior officials said Tuesday."
New SWJ Pocket Book: Strongpoint Cyber Deterrence
by SWJ Editors | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 1:53pm | 0 comments
This important U.S. strategic studies work seeks to develop a cyber deterrence strategy by drawing upon the hard-learned lessons of the past-specifically from Cold War deterrence theory and Cold War missile defense.
Philippines to End Military Pact With U.S.
by The Wall Street Journal | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 1:14pm | 0 comments
"The Philippines told the U.S. it would scrap an agreement considered a cornerstone of the two countries’ military alliance, a move the U.S. State Department said would have serious implications for the relationship."
Deadly Suicide Blast Hits Afghan Capital After Relative Calm
by Voice of America | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 12:17pm | 0 comments
Afghan officials say a suicide blast near a military academy in Kabul early Tuesday killed at least six people, including four soldiers. The bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body at a checkpoint near the entrance to the capital city’s Marshal Fahim Military Academy.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Special Projects Report
by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 11:22am | 0 comments
Today, SIGAR released its latest special projects report - The Human Cost of Reconstruction in Afghanistan. Continue on for key points and a link to the full report.
Trump’s America Is Committed to Europe
by The Wall Street Journal | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 3:59am | 0 comments
"A major exercise involves 40,000 troops, of which more than three-quarters come from the U.S."
Yemen: World's Biggest Humanitarian Emergency Nears Breaking Point
by The British Broadcasting Corporation | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 2:52am | 0 comments
"A crisis within the world's greatest humanitarian emergency could be reaching breaking point over the control of lifesaving aid millions of Yemenis need to survive."
Turkish Troop Losses Mount After Clash With Assad Forces
by The Wall Street Journal | Tue, 02/11/2020 - 2:24am | 0 comments
"Five soldiers die in fighting with Syrian forces; Ankara pledges to keep supporting rebels targeted by government offensive."