The Watcher’s Council has announced its winners for the past week. This week the winner in the Council post category was Mere Rhetoric’s “Wonderful: Iraqis Permanently Scratch Out Ancient Hebrew Inscription Biblical Prophet’s Tombâ€. Tied for second place honors were American Digest’s “Obama: Working the Enemies List” and Bookworm Room’s “Obama’s Self Love”.
The winning non-Council post was Zenpundit’s“The Post-COIN Era is Here”, which I nominated and for which I voted. Be sure to check it out. Second place honors went to Victor Davis Hansen’s “Let Me Be Perfectly Not Clear”.
Much thanks for the nomination Dave!
Good article by Zen. I sort of accidentally read Galula’s book many years ago and have since read several others. Am a believer in COIN principles. However Exum’s quote about understanding it means not wanting to do it is key. Couple that with the costs and long term COIN seems unlikely. We need to use some of the principles to develop shorter, more cost-effective wars. I also think we continue to underestimate the problems inherent trying to run a COIN or CT effort when the indigenous government sucks.
Steve
My view on COIN is that in general we don’t have the cynicism needed to implement it properly. Counter-insurgency was invented by colonialists as a method of holding on to their colonial possessions. Implementing it requires that you believe you have some sort of right to the territory.