| Small Wars Journal

Over the past 40 years, the one consistent face of war with which we have been confronted is irregular warfare. In parallel, one consistent threat to our security has been our inability to retain the lessons in irregular warfare that we learned on the battlefield.

It is happening again…

Army Regulation 600-20, Army Command Policy, states "hazing is fundamentally in opposition to our values and is prohibited." The recent case of Private Danny Chen, who took his own life in Afghanistan this past October after being physically and verbally abused by up to 8 fellow members of his platoon (a platoon he had been part of for less than 70 days), has brought to the forefront the issue of hazing in the US Army. In April Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew committed suicide after a night of hazing by the hand of his fellow Marines, an incident resulting in a trial by court-martial of three Marines who physically abused and harassed him before he shot himself. General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a statement on 23 December 2011 on his Facebook page stating "hazing is simply intolerable." Indeed, hazing is intolerable and is an egregious act that violates every thread of value and decency we hold as valuable as an institution and profession. Hazing and interpersonal abuse significantly increases the risk of suicide in those who have an acute feeling of burdensomeness and inability to assimilate or belong. Hazing is blatantly toxic and erodes the trust and confidence required of comrades in arms whose reliance upon each other ultimately contributes to their survival in the most austere conditions. Lastly, blaming the victim of such a crime is morally corrupt and discounts the horrible act of abuse imposed upon those who are not in the position to defend themselves.

Hazing is an inexcusable act counter to the values we hold dear as an Army. Our values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage are the hallmarks of our institution. Conduct in direct violation with one or more of these values consume the moral bedrock of the organization. The concept of serving our country in the service of others is juxtaposed to the idea that harming one of our own somehow makes them better members of our team. Leadership through deceit and coercion is as equally corrosive as the physical and psychological abuse of our own. We lose our moral legitimacy passively condoning these actions in failing to address them. Further, our inability to adhere to the values we profess to make our institution great destroy our heritage, traditions, and principles. Of paramount importance is the understanding that the violation of reasonable expectations of professional conduct and common decency contributes to the degradation of our institution.

Our rising suicide rate in the active, guard, and reserve force resultant of the increasing stresses of military life emphasize the significance of cultivating environments that do not further contribute to the preventable loss of life by our Soldiers' own hands. Dr. Thomas Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior indicates three prerequisites of suicidal behavior; a thwarted sense of belongingness, an increased sense of burdensomeness, and an acquired capability or means of killing. Hazing and other abuses deteriorate one's sense of self-worth and increase the feeling of burden and worthlessness. Hazing accelerates all three of these prerequisites, particularly in a military culture where lethal means and capability is a mechanism available to all Soldiers assigned a weapon. Why any leader would knowingly engage in behaviors that would possibly add to our suicide issues is beyond comprehension.

The targeting, ostracizing, bullying, and humiliation of another person for the purposes of "building camaraderie" or "exercising discipline" is the weakest form of leadership and the most obvious example of toxicity. That PVT Chen's platoon leader has been charged with dereliction of duty related to the hazing and suicide of PVT Chen is even more disconcerting. Leaders are responsible for the training, morale, welfare, and discipline of their Soldiers. When the actions of subordinates prevent a leader's ability to monitor and contribute to any of these four aspects the fabric of trust within the team and small unit disintegrate. Leaders are supposed to know their subordinates, their families, their motivations, strengths, and weaknesses in order to facilitate their improvement and contributions towards mission accomplishment, not exploit those weaknesses or shortcomings for personal amusement or sadistic examples. Leaders who cannot provide for the common good or who fail to recognize the worth of each of their subordinates do not deserve to lead.

Blaming victims of hazing is as reprehensible as blaming victims of rape, murder, or domestic abuse. Hazing is an abuse of power and control manifested in the commission of a violent or coercive act of domineering others in an oppressive or vicious manner. Private Chen didn't need to "toughen up" or "require better coping skills" as many internet commenters have suggested under news articles and blogs related to the case. He was an American Soldier who enlisted as an infantryman during a time of war to serve the United States, a country that gave this child of hardworking Chinese immigrants a New York education and opportunity to live the American Dream. He was a Soldier who served less than a year from enlistment to the time of his death who was forced to his breaking point by a group of fellow Soldiers who, instead of mentoring him, training him, and ensuring his development as a professional Soldier in the 70 days he was with them, decided to bully him, beat him, and harass him to a point where he believed his only logical escape was killing himself with his own weapon in a guard tower. This Soldier deserved better, and his chain of command failed him.

Recent events in both the US Army and United States Marine Corps have brought the practice of hazing resulting in the violent death of the victim, by whatever means, to the front pages of the national news. In the cases of both US Army Private Danny Chen and Marine Corps Lance Corporal Harry Lew hazing has been determined to be instrumental in the causation of their suspected suicides that criminal charges have been preferred on members in their chain of command. Hazing violates the principles and ethics of our military. It openly contributes to a rising suicide rate within our armed forces, particularly the US Army. It is a tool of abuse utilized by the ethically bankrupt and morally flexible to compensate for their inability to truly lead. Further, it is not the fault of the victims but, rather, the conduct of the aggressors that such behaviors continue. Our Soldiers have enough to worry about in combat while fighting violent and ruthless enemies who use deceit, tyranny, fear, and coercion to accomplish their ends. They should not have to worry about those same tools of oppression being used by those serving to their left and right.

Ryan T. Kranc is a major in the U.S. Army and squadron operations officer in 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin, CA. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

The Sovereignty Solution: A Commonsense Approach to Global Security

I'm in the process of transitioning from the military and SWJ. After a short vacation, I will probably head off to study revolution or go and teach high school students. I still have some time to make a decision.

I've shared a little bit of my professional experiences with y'all throughout this last 1.5 years as it directly related to one tour in one town, but for the most part, I wanted to use my time at SWJ and my remaining time in the Army to help those of you seeking to understand war and find better solutions to today's problems by introducing you to others with new ideas. There's a small group of academics, officers, and enlisted personnel who have been deeply entrenched in the wars over the last decade. When I say deep, I mean it. "Seeing the Elephant" or "Knowing the Face of War" is not a careless remark they haphazardly throw around because of one six month tour of service. You won't recognize our names mostly because we were behind the scenes.

As, I closed out, I wanted to figure out how I could capture a final message. My Foreign Policy article was a start.

Yesterday, I received an early Christmas present from a dear friend. She is one of the few anthropologist who focus strictly on conflict, and she's been struggling for a while on how to say what seems to be common sense for so many of us. A long time ago, she taught me my first course in anthropology. She had two rules: 1. Don't use the word culture, 2. People are People. Where I come from, there's a similar country song that goes "God is great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy." I asked her if she really had to go to Harvard to learn those big ideas. She didn't learn her wisdom while in school. She learned it from studying tribes while fighting in Africa.

So, as I get close to saying goodbye, I would like to extend this gift to you.

The Sovereignty Solution: A Common Sense Approach to Global Security

by Anna Simons, Joe McGraw, Duane Lauchengco

A Naval Postgraduate School professor and her Special Forces coauthors offer a radical yet commonsensical approach to recalibrating global security. Their book discusses what the United States could actually do to restore order to the world without having to engage in either global policing or nation-building. Two tracks to their strategy are presented: strengthening state responsibility abroad and strengthening the social fabric at home. The authors' goal is to provoke a serious debate that addresses the gaps and disconnects between what the United States says and what it does, how it wants to be perceived, and how it is perceived. Without leaning left or right, they hope to draw many people into the debate and force Washington to rethink what it sends service men and women abroad to do.

As for me, I would recommend to stop listening to the same broken records!

23 December SWJ Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

US Falls Short of Deal with Taliban, Talks Reflect Shift in Objective - WP

Obama Order to Pull 10000 US Troops Out Now Done - WP

10,000 US Troops Leave Afghanistan - USAT

10,000 US Troops Leave Afghanistan - AP

Outspoken Afghan Rights Official Ousted - NYT

Rights Advocate Says Afghan President Fired Him - AP

Afghan Men: Crucial Advocates for Women's Rights - Reuters

A Long Goodbye to Afghanistan - LAT opinion

Pakistan

Communications Failures Contributed to Border Incident - AFPS

DOD Blames Miscommunication for Deaths of Pakistani Troops - S&S

US: 'Inadequate Coordination' Led to Pakistan Border Attack - VOA

US Cites Errors in Cross-border Raid that Killed 24 Pakistani Soldiers - WP

US Concedes Error, but Says Pakistan Fired First at Border - NYT

US Acknowledges Mistakes, Doesn't Take Blame in Pakistan Strike - LAT

US Cites ‘Misunderstanding’ in Deadly Pakistan Operation - WT

US, Pakistan Share Blame in Border Deaths - Reuters

Pakistani Army Rejects US Report on Airstrikes - AP

Pakistan Leaders Near Showdown With Army - Reuters

Pakistan PM Warns of Coup Plot - WP

Pakistan PM Alleges Conspiracy to Oust Government - AP

Pakistan Army Wants Zardari Out but Not a Coup - Reuters

Pakistani Taliban Attack Fort, Kidnap 15 Soldiers - AP

Iraq

Bombs Rock Baghdad - VOA

Baghdad Explosions in 1st Major Violence Since US Pullout - WP

Explosions Rock Baghdad Amid Iraqi Political Crisis - NYT

Iraq Bombings Kill 60, Revive Old Fears - LAT

Bombings Rock Baghdad and Kill Scores - WT

Wave of Bombings Across Iraqi Capital Kills 69 - AP

Shi'ites Targeted as Baghdad Blasts Kill 72 - Reuters

US Exit from Iraq Leaves a Power Void - WT

Iraq Heading Towards 'Inevitable' Sectarian Conflict - TT

Iraq Needs New Premier, Top Sunni Politician Says - NYT

Maliki Threatens, Sunnis Grumble, Baghdad Goes Boom - CSM

US Intelligence Warned of Strife After Iraq Pullout - Reuters

Syria

Arab League Advance Team Arrives in Syria - VOA

Arab League Delegates Arrive in Syria - NYT

Despite Observers, Syria's Assad Hikes Crackdown - AP

Arab League Team Arrives in Syria as Violence Goes On - Reuters

Syria: Two Explosions Rock Damascus -TT

Syria TV: Twin Suicide Bombs Shake Capital - AP

Two Blasts Hit Syrian Security Sites in Damascus - Reuters

Egypt

Egypt’s Prime Minister Adds More Blame on Protesters - NYT

Military-appointed Prime Minister Calls for Calm in Egypt - WP

Egypt's Premier Calls for Dialogue to End Crisis - AP

Egypt Activists Gather for Mass Rally Against Army - Reuters

Iran

Iran’s Navy to Hold War Games Near Key Sea Lanes - NYT

Iran's Navy to Hold Drill in International Waters - AP

Iran to Show Naval Might in Key Oil-Shipping Area - Reuters

Iran Blocks UK Website in New Diplomatic Spat - AP

Iran's Uranium Enrichment Expands, America's Withers - WT opinion

Israel / Palestinians

Palestinian Authority Gives Mideast Peacemakers Ultimatum - LAT

Militant Hamas Moves to Join PLO Umbrella - AP

Hamas Says It Plans to Join Abbas's PLO - Reuters

Israel Drops Case Against Flotilla Participants - AP

Libya

UN Urges Libya to Sell Off Uranium Cache - Reuters

How to Control Libya Missiles? Buy Them Up - NYT

Russia and US Clash Over NATO Libya Bombing Probe - AP

Libya: Lockerbie Bomber Says New Evidence Will Clear His Name - VOA

Middle East / North Africa

2011 'Year of the Tyrant,' 2012 Ominous for Syria, Iraq - Reuters

Bahrain to Reinstate Education Ministry Staff - AP

Yemen Protesters Demand Saleh Trial, Denounce Gov’t - Reuters

Tunisia Names New Government After Elections - AP

Latest Developments in Arab World's Unrest - AP

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks Founder Helped Manning Get Data, Prosecutors Say - LAT

Pretrial Wraps Up for Alleged Document Leaker - AFPS

Hearing in Soldier’s WikiLeaks Case Ends - NYT

Prosecution Seeks Court-Martial in Leak Case - WT

Defense Says Manning Victim of Military Overreach - AP

United Nations

UN Court Won't Prosecute Prosecutors for Contempt - AP

UN Assembly Holds 'Minute' of Silence for Kim Jong-Il - Reuters

US Department of Defense

Problems Possible at Nearly 65,000 Arlington Graves, Report Finds - WP

Arlington Graves Need More Review - USAT

Study: Female Vets More Critical of Iraq, Afghanistan Wars - S&S

Judge Asked to Unshackle Guantanamo Prisoner - AP

A Soldier’s Death - NYT editorial

United States

US Announces $10 Million Reward for Al-Qaida Financier - VOA

US Sets Bounty for Iran-Based Al Qaeda Financier - Reuters

Fatal Ambushes Targeting Police Increase - USAT

Newt Gingrich: An Armchair General? - WP

US, Mexico Seize $84 Million in Counterfeit Goods - Reuters

Vet Rehab Center? Not in My Backyard! - S&S

Ron Paul: Soldier’s Choice - NYT opinion

Africa

Witnesses: 4 Killed in Northeast Nigeria Bombing - AP

Gun Battle, Explosions Erupt in Northern Nigeria - Reuters

Nigeria Coast Braces for Biggest Oil Spill in 13 Years - Reuters

Americas

Mexico: Gunmen Fire on Buses in Veracruz Town - LAT

Mexico Port City Police Infiltrated by Zetas Gang - AP

16 Killed in Violence in Mexican State - AP

Shootings in Mexico's Veracruz Kill 16 - Reuters

Veracruz Police Disbanded: Many in Mexico Won't Notice - CSM

Venezuela Prosecutor Opposes Extradition of Rebel Commander - AP

Tougher Argentine Terror Laws Concern Opponents - AP

Argentine Government Wins Control of Newsprint - AP

Argentina: Secret US Memo Now Key Evidence in Baby Thefts - AP

Nicaragua vs Costa Rica at UN Court on River Works - AP

Ailing Fujimori to Ask Peru's Humala for Pardon - Reuters

Cubans Wait, Hope for End to Travel Limits - Reuters

Asia Pacific

Canny Villagers Grasp Keys to Loosen China’s Muzzle - NYT

Riot Police Fire Teargas to Disperse Protesters in China - Reuters

Protests Far From Knockout Blow for China Leaders - Reuters

China Sentences Rights Activist to 9 Years in Jail - AP

China Denies Link With Missiles Seized in Finland - Reuters

North Korea Ushers In Kim Jong Un Era - VOA

North Korea’s Succession Unfolds in Cloud of Mystery - NYT

What's the Plan if North Korea Collapses? - Reuters

South Korea: Open for Dialogue With North, Ready for Defense - VOA

Japan Hopes to Jump-Start Nuclear Disarmament Talks with N. Korea - S&S

N. Korea Transition Clouds Asia Security Outlook - AP

North Korean Defectors Learn to Adapt in South - USAT

In S. Korea, a Shrinking Space for Speech - WP

Suu Kyi's Party Registers to Run in Burma Polls - AP

Can Obama Handle North Korean Chaos? - WT opinion

Central Asia

Kazakh President Fires Head of Energy Giant Following Riots - VOA

Europe

Russia: Ahead of Huge Moscow Protest, Medvedev Offers Reform - VOA

Close to End of Presidency, Medvedev Urges Reforms - NYT

Putin Crony Appointed to Top Kremlin Staff Post - CSM

Finnish Authorities Find 69 Patriot Missiles Aboard Ship - VOA

Germany: Impounded Patriot Missiles Were Legitimate Shipment - VOA

European Bank in Strong Move to Loosen Credit - NYT

Italy Passes $40 Billion Austerity Plan - NYT

New Spanish Leader Asks Banker to Fix State Finances - NYT

Lawyer: Portugal Denies US Appeal for Fugitive - AP

Turkey-France Ties Fray Over Armenia Genocide Bill - AP

Turkey Lashes Out at France Over Armenian Bill - NYT

France Passes Genocide Bill, Angry Turkey Cuts Ties - Reuters

Czech Republic: With Havel's Death, His Legacy Faces New Threats - AP

Ukraine's Tymoshenko Boycotts 'Farce' Appeal Trial - Reuters

Bosnian Farmers to Lose Lifeline to Political Paralysis - Reuters

A Europe Divided - WP opinion

South Asia

Indian Plans for Anti-Corruption Agency Advance - NYT

Indian Outcast Millionaire Mulls Caste, Riches - AP

Read more about 23 December SWJ Roundup

Communications Failures Contributed to Border Incident

Communications Failures Contributed to Border Incident

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2011 – U.S. forces acted in self-defense and responded with appropriate force after being fired upon during a Nov. 25-26 incident on Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, according to findings from a Defense Department investigation that was released today.

Twenty-four Pakistani soldiers were killed in the incident. Air Force Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, the investigating officer, also found no intentional effort to target people or places known to be part of the Pakistani military, or to deliberately provide inaccurate location information to Pakistani officials.

U.S. Central Command commander Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis appointed Clark, the director of plans, programs, requirements and assessments for Air Force Special Operations Command, to conduct the investigation. Clark briefed the Pentagon press on telephone from Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Clark said the incident was a result of inadequate coordination between U.S. and Pakistani military officers operating through the border coordination center. This includes relying on incorrect mapping information shared with the Pakistani liaison officer, which resulted in a misunderstanding about the true location of Pakistani military units, DOD officials said. There were other gaps in information about the locations and activities of units on both sides of the border.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little again expressed the U.S. military’s “deepest regret” over the loss of life. “We further express sincere condolences to the Pakistani people, to the Pakistani government and most importantly to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who were killed or wounded,” he said.

U.S. and NATO officials now want to focus on learning from the mistakes the investigation highlighted and correcting them.

But the problem is deeper than one incident, according to the report. “We must work to improve the level of trust between our two countries,” the report says. “We cannot operate effectively on the border -- or in other parts of our relationship -- without addressing the fundamental trust still lacking between us. We earnestly hope the Pakistani military will join us in bridging that gap.”

The results of the investigation have been briefed through the chain of command and also have been shared with Afghan and Pakistani officials, DOD officials said.

Clark gave a narrative on the operation. The operation was to put 120 personnel into Nawa village near the border with Pakistan. Because of the nearness to the border, the operation went up to the International Joint Command in Kabul for approval. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the IJC commander, made some changes to the plan to avoid complications. The helicopter landing zone, for example, was moved farther away from the border.

“He also asked any known [Pakistani] border posts be identified,” Clark said.

Two border posts were identified, but not the ones where the actions subsequently occurred. “That is a critical point in part of this in that the two locations that were in question here were not identified on any chart to include the official chart in the Nawa Coordination Center,” Clark said.

The night of the operation, U.S. forces moved along goat trails through steep and climbing terrain toward Nawa village. “At about 11:09 p.m., they receive … direct and heavy machine-gun fire,” Clark said.

Overhead were two F-15 Strike Eagles, an AC-130 gunship, an MC-12 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and two AH-64 Apache helicopters. They identified that the fire and subsequent mortar fire was coming from the ridgeline. The tactical commander called for the AC-130 and an F-15 to fly low over the valley dropping flares. The low-level passes over the valley and the flares “is key for the ground tactical leaders’ mindset, in that there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that it’s now coalition forces in the area, which is the intent of the show of force,” Clark said.

Machine-gun and mortar fire continued, and the tactical commander received word that there were no Pakistani military posts in the area. “This is actually the first point where we have found a series of miscommunications to have occurred for the tactical event,” he said.

Regional Command East, the battlespace owner, said they were checking with the border coordination center, “but we are tracking no Pak mil in the area,” Clark said.

“That was heard at the lower headquarters as ‘no Pak mil in the area’ and radioed to the ground force commander and entered into an electronic chat room, which then began circular reporting back to the regional command, which then assumed the lower echelon had validated and confirmed there were no Pak mil in the area,” Clark said.

The general said this was the first point of communication failure that if had been detected and corrected might have prevented the incident.

The commander calls for support from the AC-130 onto the positions that were firing on the American troops. That engagement lasts about six minutes. A few minutes later there is a second engagement with the AC-130 and the Apaches firing on hasty battle positions -- rudimentary bunkers -- that are firing on the American forces. That action ends at midnight.

During this engagement, Pakistani liaison officers are calling Regional Command East to say that their forces are under fire.

“There is confusion caused by this because there is a lack of precision on where this is occurring,” Clark said. “When asked, the general answer back is, ‘Well, you know where it is because you are shooting at them,’ rather than giving a position.”

The border coordination center has the exact latitude and longitude of the fight. It is put on a computer but the map overlay was configured incorrectly. The computer shows the fight as occurring 14 kilometers away from the actual battle. “That's our second point of failure in clarification of where things were going and what has happening,” the general said.

There was a third engagement beginning at about 12:40 a.m. and lasting through 1 a.m. This was a bit north of the previous engagements and centered on a heavy machine gun.

“About that time there was confirmation and clarification across the net that in fact there were Pakistani military in the area and that there were border posts,” Clark said. “That word was then relayed down to the ground tactical leader, who immediately ceased engagement, and no rounds were fired after that time.”

Read more about Communications Failures Contributed to Border Incident

I'll Go

A Tribute to Our Veterans. A Kelly's Lot

Read more about I'll Go

Elkus and WILF are Wrong!

To beat the Prine-evil approach to journalism like the dead horse that it is, Elkus and WILF are not only wrong in their assessment of what works in such situations, but dangerously so. They argue for the suppression of the popular will of a populace in the name of preserving some form of government judged as unacceptable in its current form. For Americans such approaches are counter to the very cornerstone of the foundation our country was built upon. While people everywhere are certainly not Americans (a small fact leaders in Washington seem to forget at times), a reality of the emerging environment we all live within is that treating insurgency as war and employing ones military to simply suppress popular will in the name of maintaining governmental control is as obsolete as the many empires and regimes which followed this approach to their respective, historic demise.

It is worth commenting on each of the WILFian points offered by Elkus for examination.

“Victory is produced by combat, and the goal of operating forces should be to break the enemy’s will.”

Victory in war is indeed produced by combat, and absolutely in war between nations the breaking of one’s opponent’s will is essential. Not just the will of the combatant, but that of the entire nation. But combat within a nation is a far different matter, and equally important, all combat is not war or even warfare. Damn the lawyers for producing and then interpreting documents such as the War Powers Act. They sit there in their crisp starched shirts and read the black letter of the words other lawyers placed on the documents they hold in their manicured hands with a certainty that ignores fine nuances of various purposes for combat or nature of combatants. The law is clear, and they proclaim simplistically that all combat is war. This in turn enables those within the profession of arms to extrapolate that if all combat is war, and all war is war, then one must simply get busy about the business of breaking the enemy’s will. Who among us, however, desires to live in a nation where the government has employed the military to break the will of the people to force our submission to a form of government deemed unacceptable? Even if the group controlled in such manner today is a small, troublesome minority, it is only a matter of time until one finds their own segment of the populace in such an unfortunate minority role. Payback in such situations is rarely gentle.

“The rule of law, governance, and other things seen as the goal of COIN are products of control, which requires destroying, deterring, and intimidating the enemy.”

Insurgency does not occur when the government loses control of the populace, but rather when the populace (or some distinct segment of the populace) comes to reasonable perceive that it is they who have lost control of the government. Rule of law is absolutely a critical tool of every government in establishing and enforcing the order under which civilized society is able to function. But it is justice under the rule of law which promotes stability among the people. Modern COIN is rooted so deeply in ancient colonialism that one cannot easily distinguish where one ends and the other begins. The true “enemy” in any insurgency is that family of governmental programs, policies and laws, which combined with the manner in which they have been applied and enforced, have served to push some segment of the populace to the point where they feel they have no option but to act out illegally “…to throw off such government and provide new guards for their future security.”

“The prize is not the population, but the control the government can gain when the enemy is destroyed.”

Indeed, the population is not some prize to be won or lost; rather the population is the very essence of the nation. Government and insurgents alike share this common DNA and emerge from the populace to compete for the right (and reciprocal duties) to lead and serve the populace in a manner consistent with their expectations. Similarly, it is not government forcing some artificial control over the population that creates the basis for stability, but rather government acting in a manner consistent with the expectations of the populace and ensuring that trusted, certain and legal means are clearly available to the entire population to control government that carries the day.

“An inability to do these things is indicative of a policy or strategy failure.”

No, it is the belief that such things must be done that is indicative of a policy or strategy of failure. Tactics matter little when one’s strategy is upside down. One can be as war-like as WILF, or as “populace-centric” as Kilcullen, or as “nation building” as CNAS, and expect equal degrees of failure from each. The world is changing and it is time to set aside our doctrines of attempting to control populaces subjected to situations they find intolerable by any such ways and means. Foreign powers must learn to respect the sovereignty of smaller nations, and governments of nations of every size must learn to listen to and serve their entire populace with equity and justice.

So yes, “war is war;” but insurgency is not war, and the sooner we accept that premise, the sooner we find the stability we seek; at home and abroad.

The opinions expressed in this paper are the author's alone

22 December SWJ Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

US General Suggests Longer Term Military Presence in Afghanistan - VOA

Odierno Visits Soldiers in Afghanistan - AFPS

Allen Checks Troop Outposts on Afghan Border - AFPS

Roadside Bomb Kills Five NATO Soldiers in Afghanistan -NYT

5 Polish Troops Killed by Bomb in East Afghanistan - AP

Army Charges Eight in Death of Fellow Soldier - AFPS

Army Charges Eight in Death of Fellow Soldier - S&S

Exiting Afghanistan - WP opinion

A Long Goodbye to Afghanistan - LAT opinion

Pakistan

NATO Official Says Mistakes Led to Border Attack - AP

Iraq

Explosions Rock Baghdad Amid Iraqi Political Crisis - NYT

Deadly Explosions Strike Baghdad - BBC

Wave of Bombings Across Iraqi Capital Kills 23 - AP

Iraqi PM Tells Kurdistan to Return VP - WP

Iraqi VP Tells VOA Charges Against Him Politically Motivated - VOA

Iraq Sets Deadline for Iranian Exiles to Leave - AP

Iraq’s Latest Battle - NYT editorial

Syria

Arab League Team Ready for Syria - BBC

Syrian Opposition Urges UN to Act After 'Massacre' - VOA

Activists: Syrian Troops Surround Village, Kill 100 - AP

Surge in Syrian Killings Is Reported Before Visit - NYT

Arab Team Prepares Syria Mission After Deadly Assault - Reuters

White House: Syrian Regime Is Doomed - VOA

Gunmen Kidnap 5 Iranian Engineers in Syria - AP

Egypt

Egypt Scoffs 'Foreign Interference' After Clinton Comments - VOA

Egypt's PM Calls for Dialogue to Resolve Crisis - AP

Cairo Calmer as Egyptian Election Resumes - Reuters

Israel / Palestinians

Israel Accuses 4 Countries of Meddling in Its Affairs - NYT

Israel Says European UN States' Criticism Is Wrong - Reuters

Hamas Thaws After Arab Spring - WP

Abbas Meets Woman Who Aided 2001 Murder of Israeli - AP

Israeli Arabs Enter Jewish Classrooms - AP

Middle East / North Africa

UAE Strips 6 of Citizenship Over Security Concerns - AP

Libya: Gaddafi Son 'Has Not Seen Lawyer' - BBC

WikiLeaks

Manning Defense Rests its Case after Calling Two Witnesses - BS

Manning’s Defense Rests in Hearing - WP

Witnesses in WikiLeaks Case Describe Lax Security - LAT

US Department of Defense

Air Force Seeks Outside Advice on Penalties for Mishandled Remains - S&S

United States

More Drones Fly US-Mexico Border - WP

Africa

DR Congo Police 'Kill Civilians' - BBC

Rights Body: Congo Security Forces Kill 24 - AP

South Sudanese 'Press-Ganged' by Rebels in Khartoum - BBC

2 Rwandans Sentenced to Life for Genocide - VOA

UK Sends Horn of Africa Food Aid - BBC

Somali Lawmakers Draw Blood in Latest Fistfight - VOA

Italian Tanker is Free from Somali Pirates - AP

Americas

Peace Corps to Scale Back in Central America - NYT

US Nixes Peace Corps Class for Guatemala, Salvador - AP

Mexico Disbands Veracruz-Boca del Rio Police Force - BBC

Colombia Troops Jailed for Murder - BBC

Argentina Police Raid Clarin Group Cablevision Channel - BBC

South American States Ban Falklands Vessels from Ports - BBC

Asia Pacific

Kim Jong-il Death: Seoul 'Showing No Hostility' - BBC

Some Grief Over Death of North Korea Leader False -LAT

Pentagon Sees Smooth Change so far in North Korea - AP

Chinese Officials Offer Concessions to End Village Protest - VOA

Demonstrators Who Took Over Chinese Village Halt Protest - NYT

Japan: Decommissioning Damaged Reactors Could Take 40 Years - NYT

Thai Prime Minister Meets Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma - VOA

A New Kim. A New Chance? - NYT opinion

Europe

Russia: Medvedev Urges Bold Political Reforms - BBC

Opposition Leader Navalny Freed from Russian Jail - WP

Freed From Jail, Russian Blogger Drives Anti-Kremlin Movement - NYT

Russia: Medvedev Warns Against Upsetting Stability - AP

Putin Ally Elected Speaker of Russia's Duma - VOA

In Russia, Lost Generation of Science - WP

Serb Charged With Arms Smuggling in Kosovo Conflict - NYT

Bosnian Farmers to Lose Lifeline to Political Paralysis - Reuters

Foes of Hungary’s Government Fear ‘Demolition of Democracy’ - NYT

France Debates Armenia 'Genocide' - BBC

Thousands Pay Last Respects to Former Czech Leader - VOA

Brutality in Belarus - WP opinion

South Asia

Scaling Caste Walls With Capitalism’s Ladders in India - NYT

Read more about 22 December SWJ Roundup

Change FM 3-24: Enemy Template in Small Wars

One of the key things missing in FM 3-24 is an enemy template. Remember those things? At NTC and JRTC, we’d count T-72s, BMPs, and BTRs to try and determine if we were facing the Russians forward security element, recon forces, or main effort. They provided a foundation for our thinking.

You won’t find such a section in FM 3-24. Magically, over the last ten years, we wished the enemy away believing that through our own sheer will-power we could separate the people from the enemy.

It’s time to be honest. We need to put the template in the manual.

Here’s a start. Nearly four years ago, I described in detail the enemy disposition and composition in the village of Zaganiyah in my article, The Break Point. It shows how AQI, just like many other social movements, mobilized, organized, recruited, trained, financed their operations, developed doctrine, planned, and executed the clearance of the village ultimately establishing a shadow government complete with judicial, military, arms economic arms.

It is one way to understand the enemy template.

Recently, Octavian Manea brought together a group of experts to ask them if counterinsurgency leads to a culture of entitlement?

Because we fail to recognize the enemy, what is missing in this conversation is the economic competition between the state and counter-state (or Shadow Government) which many continue to ignore or simply wish away. AQI has one (still does) and so does the Taliban. They provide competing "security forces, providing essential services to the population, promoting good governance, and encouraging economic development."

In Zaganiyah, we were in a bidding war with AQI. Everytime we would flood the market with state backed goods, they would drop their prices in order to show the citizens that they could outgovern the Iraqi government. At the same time, we had to shut down the AQI Walmart and try to rework property and land rights issues.

It's time to start listening to the guys who have actually done the work!

If we continue to only think in terms of what Americans are doing and ignore the other 99% of the people (not tell them what they should be thinking with information operations) then we're never going to get better.

We'll continue to waste time, money, and lives.

But, don't take my word for it. This is nothing new and was around long before FM 3-24. Some of the current modern thinkers who talk about it are Gordon McCormick and David Kilcullen and Steven Metz.

I learned from Bob Andrews and Leites and Wolfe. And so it must go. We must take our experience and teach it to the next generation refusing to brand ourselves knowing that war is much bigger than one person or one ideology.

Let’s make the change and put the enemy template into FM 3-24.

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