Officer Questions Petraeus’s Strategy

In this morning’s Wall Street Journal – Officer Questions Petraeus’s Strategy by Yochi Dreazen.

… Lt. Col. Gian Gentile, a history professor here who served two tours in Iraq, begs to differ. He argues that Gen. Petraeus’s counterinsurgency tactics are getting too much credit for the improved situation in Iraq. Moreover, he argues, concentrating on such an approach is eroding the military’s ability to wage large-scale conventional wars…

Col. Gentile is giving voice to an idea that previously few in the military dared mention: Perhaps the Petraeus doctrine isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That’s a big controversy within a military that has embraced counterinsurgency tactics as a path to victory in Iraq. The debate, sparked by a short essay written by Col. Gentile titled “Misreading the Surge,” has been raging in military circles for months. One close aide to Gen. Petraeus recently took up a spirited defense of his boss…

Col. Steve Boylan, a spokesman for Gen. Petraeus, said the surge deserved credit for enabling the other dynamics contributing to Iraq’s security gains. “The surge was definitely a factor,” he said. “It wasn’t the only factor, but it was a key component.”

Col. Boylan said that he was familiar with Col. Gentile’s arguments but disagreed with them. “I certainly respect the good lieutenant colonel,” he said. “But he hasn’t been in Iraq for a while, and when you’re not on the ground your views can quickly get dated.”…

Col. Gentile’s arguments have drawn fierce criticism from counterinsurgency advocates, in particular from Gen. Petraeus’s chief of staff, Col. Pete Mansoor, who is retiring from the military to teach at Ohio State.

In a posting to Small Wars Journal, a blog devoted to counterinsurgency issues, Col. Mansoor wrote that Col. Gentile “misreads not just what is happening today in Iraq, but the entire history of the war.”…

Much more at WSJ.

Misreading the Surge Threatens U.S. Army’s Conventional Capabilities – LTC Gian Gentile, World Politics Review

Misreading the History of the Iraq War – COL Peter Mansoor, Small Wars Journal

Misreading the History of the Iraq War – Small Wars Council discussion

Our Troops Did Not Fail in 2006 – Small Wars Council discussion

Mansoor and Gentile on SWJ – Abu Muqawama

Two Sides of COIN – Phillip Carter, Intel Dump

Why are We Succeeding in Iraq – or are We? – Herschel Smith, The Captain’s Journal