The David Kilcullen Collection (merged thread)

[flagg]

Finally had time to read 'Out of the Mountains'. It is a good easy read, with examples given for each point, some from his most recent consultancy work with Caerus Associates, his own experiences and a host of footnotes - alas at the back.

Given his thesis that the future is urban guerilla warfare in the megacities I was surprised he had so little support from those who already face the problems now - such as Mumbai.

From my armchair I am unconvinced that suffiecent Western understanding will come from the collection and analysis of 'big data' from such places. How much data do megacities produce and is it reliable?

I was particularly interested in the section on the Mumbai attack by LeT in November 2008, as this supports my viewpoint. Nariman House, the Jewish cultural centre's actual presence was unknown to the local police and intelligence bodies; it had been purchased in 2006. He also refers to those held by LeT were tortured, a claim denied by the Indian authorities and cites only one press report.

SWJ gets a mention in the acknowledgements:

On the topic of Kilcullen/"Out of the Mountains" would Brazil's hosting of both the FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics represent a great opportunity to see how the "conflict entrepreneur" and un/self-governed spaces issues are dealt with?

To me, Brazil's favelas seem like the best laboratories to see how megaslum governance and management solutions play out(or don't).

Such as the Brazil's Pacifying Police Unit(UPP).

Worthy of separate thread? Or closely related enough to "Out of the Mountains" to be incorporated into a single thread?

If there's one place I'd like to be on the ground to learn and understand in the next two years would be Brazil's favelas.

Moderator's Note

New thread Out of the mountains into the slums? created following suggestion:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=20687