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There's a quote I've seen probably a dozen times, about the military percentage of a counterinsurgency solution may be 20% or 80%, but it's the first 20% or 80%. Anyone happen to know the exact quote, and who said it (I'm thinking a Malaya Emergency figure for some reason)? Much appreciated.
Templer mentioned that the shooting end of the business was around 25% but it was Galula that coined (I know- that was terrible) the 80:20 ratio.
You'll find two articles here from some switched-on Aussies ;) that quote it.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/documents/kilcullen1.pdf
http://smallwarsjournal.com/mag/docs...70-hammond.pdf
Actually Galula didn't originate that, if you read the footnotes in his book, he was quoting a Chinese general.Quote:
Originally Posted by JT Clark
Niel
...never where ones for detail.
Thanks guys. But anyone know where the part about the military/security ingredient being the FIRST 20% comes from?
"in war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one." I think extrapolating that you can say that in COIN the political is to the military as ten is to one - of course Galula and others said 80/20 but I think 10 to 1 is more powerful of a statement.
Something to think about concerning COIN - Dave Kilcullen brought this up last year during his COIN seminar at Quantico - even if you buy the 80 - 20 that does not mean the military does 20% - the military conducts many activities that can be regarded as part of the 80% political during COIN.
Whenever I get to looking at the pol/mil balance it occurs to me that it reminds me of those 3D holographic pics where what you see up front is a bunch of the same but once you look closely enough the other pics start to come out.
Can anyone tell me what percentage of those pictures are the front/back:wry:
Granite State: He may not have been the first to say it even in the Vietnam context, but John Vann was fond of urging the advisers to remember that while security may be only 10% of the problem or it may be 90%, "but remember, it's always the first 10%--or the first 90%"....
Cheers,
Mike.
Main Force or Local Force? :D
Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in Hilo