Vietnam and Iraq: Learning From the Past?
America’s Vietnam experience left lessons applicable in Iraq, particularly that a departing power must leave an indigenous military capable of defending the host nation’s interest. Apparent U.S. success in organizing, educating, and training security forces in Iraq to take over both counterinsurgency and stability operations encourages visions of a rapid withdrawal of U.S. Forces. Though a multi-echelon combined arms assault seems beyond the capability of opponents in the foreseeable future, that may not last forever. A full pullout sooner than a decade from now risks a repeat of the fall of South Vietnam. Accordingly, American professional military institutions must prepare an Iraqi force for both counterinsurgency and conventional combat operations |
10 октября 2011
Vietnam and Iraq: Learning From the Past?
America’s Vietnam experience left lessons applicable in Iraq, particularly that a departing power must leave an indigenous military capable of defending the host nation’s interest. Apparent U.S. success in organizing, educating, and training security forces in Iraq to take over both counterinsurgency and stability operations encourages visions of a rapid withdrawal of U.S. Forces. Though a multi-echelon combined arms assault seems beyond the capability of opponents in the foreseeable future, that may not last forever. A full pullout sooner than a decade from now risks a repeat of the fall of South Vietnam. Accordingly, American professional military institutions must prepare an Iraqi force for both counterinsurgency and conventional combat operations |
10 октября 2011
Religious Leader Engagement in Southern Afghanistan
The prominent place of religious leaders and institutions in Afghanistan calls for increased attention through American chaplains, especially Muslim chaplains, as well as religious leader engagement programs. The need for religious engagement is not exclusive to Afghanistan but could be beneficial worldwide. Enemies to America and the Afghan government speak a language shrouded in religious mysticism that armed might cannot fully neutralize. America must realize that its reach is temporary, and its foreign policy must reflect that longstanding issues will have to be solved by players who are accepted locally and who traffic in the language the population trusts and relates to. No amount of understanding outsiders bring into societies compensates for ignorance of what truly motivates host populations |
10 октября 2011
