The official social platform for ConsimWorld
Started by Jon Compton. Last reply by Kim Kanger Oct 19, 2009.
Started by Jon Compton. Last reply by Smitty Oct 1, 2008.
Started by Jim Werbaneth Jul 21, 2008.
Comment
Now when both Iraq and Afghanistan is getting close to their final play I'm wondering what the pillars of a counterinsurgency must be. I believe it must be these:
1) Respect: Don't antagonize by showing disrespect in encounters or worse, by killing their relatives. This will just feed the insurgent's recruitment and give the insurgency information and safe havens.
2) Achieve local supremacy: What good is there to visit a village once in awhile if the insurgents rule there during the rest of the time. The insurgents do nor have to be aliens in that village, they might well be respected habitants in that very village. You have to move around during the night, all the time and in unpredictable patterns and create unsecurity among your opponents.
3) Legitimacy: If you are a foreign force then this is the most important issue. Everyone knows that you will not be there forever. The insurgent knows and abides his time. The villagers know and don't really care how much control the situation, because "tomorrow" you will be gone. The government that stays behind has to be legitimate and not despised, it has to offer something (be sure that the insurgents offer you a better society, so the government has to counter offer that) and people must believe that the government will win. Not only that, people must believe that other people also believe that the government will win. No-one wants to be on the losing side and be handed the bill afterwards when thr winners knock on your door.
This is of course why the war in Afghanistan will fail.
128 members
151 members
80 members
32 members
240 members
48 members
116 members
20 members
56 members
55 members
Please be sure to check-out these CSW services.
© 2019 Created by John Kranz.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Gaming Modern and Hypothetical Conflict to add comments!