Military intelligence

IN THE NEWS
I've been a regular reader of Parameters, the official research publication of the US Army War College, for years.There are always at least a couple of gems in each issue--a good sign that the people who are most directly involved in counterinsurgency and counterterrorist operations today are, left to their own devices, pretty bright, open-minded, capable, and dedicated people.

The home page from the Army War College site features a few interesting articles outside Parameters and other research venues. Check out this piece about using the Koran, the Hadith Reports, and Islamic scholarship as weapons against Al Qaeda. Also, read this excellent summary article by Max Manwaring about the lessons we can learn from past conflicts. The underlying message, of course, is that counterinsurgency and counterterrorism are not new, so we should not be groping around in the dark while a mysterious, deadly enemy waits to pounce again. If I read these articles correctly, they're intended to be primers for military and civilian professionals new to this topic. Therefore, it's enormously encouraging to see the war against Al Qaeda framed this way. (But I beg the scholars at the War College to drop the acronym GWOT. Please.)

Comments

[ali]

Fine piece by Manwaring.

The Italian case is a very interesting one and is notably contrasted with the awful mess the Argentinian’s made of their problem. The Peronist Montenero insurgency may be a better political model to use when considering Iraq’s largely Baathist insurgency. Like the Monteneros the Baathists appear to have neglected the political side of the conflict. It’s a natural consequence of their origins in the Iraqi army officer core; this is a great weakness that we should exploit. Until the Iraq election it has also been our main failing, firepower is no substitute for precision and propaganda in this sort of war.

The Sun Tzu quotes are well choosen: “Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and justice and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means, they make their governments invincible.”