Future Conflict: Battle After Afghanistan
Future Conflict: Battle After Afghanistan by Nicholas Stuart, The Age.
In April this year the Times Literary Supplement carried an extraordinary review of a book written by Emile Simpson, a young British officer recently returned from Afghanistan. Historian Michael Howard compared his book, War from the Ground Up to the seminal military bible On War by Carl von Clausewitz. As Howard had translated that classic, this created an enormous buzz.
Perhaps there is only room for one such sensation each year because David Kilcullen's book should have caused a similar stir. This is the mature work of someone who's thought long and hard about conflict. Out on the Mountains deserves to be read (and argued about) by anyone who is interested in the war or the shape of the modern world…
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2011/09/19/dr-david-kilcullen-on-the-future-of-conflict-and-international-development/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/skollworldforum/2013/09/22/doing-well-in-africa-can-also-mean-doing-good/
Funny how pioneering intellectuals often seem to move in herds. Perhaps it’s the observation of trends that does it.
Like Smedley said: “war is a racket.”
I am still intrigued that those who did not “get it” in Iraq somehow “get it” for the future.
Kilcullen and co left behind a 300K plus security/army force and now ISIL is resurgent in ways that look like 2007 all over again. What does that say for COIN?
So exactly how is it possible that now the same people are predicting the future of warfare?
This was posted today on SWJ–instead of writing about the future maybe one should clearly explain the past failure.
Iraq’s Anbar Province Once Again Becoming A Center For Insurgent Operations
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Iraq’s Anbar province used to be one of the centers of the insurgency, and it might be becoming one again. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha recently told the press that 40% of the governorate was under the control of militants. Today there is a free flow of fighters back and forth across the Syrian border. Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is targeting the security forces and local politicians. More importantly, it is attempting to gain control of territory as there have been several assaults upon towns and cities this year. This has occurred despite the Iraqi security forces (ISF) announcing one operation after another. Its tactics of raids and retreats have proven largely ineffective, and the mass arrests that have taken place are counterproductive. Violence is picking up across many parts of Iraq, but Anbar is one specific area where insurgents are attempting to establish a permanent presence.
http://caerusassociates.com/ideas/syria-supplemental-for-prism-journal/
http://www.ndu.edu/info/about_ndu.cfm
I’m just “playin'” intellectually, that’s all. It’s the quality of the work that counts in the end.