JMA,
I don't disagree with any of your points, and I actually suspect that the majority of our capacity building efforts have failed or backfired since the end of the Cold War (and a number of them during the Cold War as well). There are a lot of factors that come into play, not the least of which is our inability to implement an integrated whole of government approach to dealing with security challenges, since building semi-competent security forces can be more of a liability than an asset when you have an incompetent and/or corrupt government.
Another factor that significantly reduces the U.S. military's effectiveness is its ever growing technical advantage over its partners in developing nations. It is a technical level that most developing nations can't hope to replicate in the next decade, so they need help with realistic approaches to security challenges they can sustain. We are now losing the last generation soldiers who grew up in a much less technical army, and even they haven't practiced that type of fighting in well over a decade. How will the new breed train soldiers in developing nations that have limited tech capability? This is where the private industry probably has an advantage over us. Another approach possible approach is to consider paying other developing nations who have relatively competent militaries to help other developing nations develop their military in a way that is sustainable, and train them on tactics that are appropriate based on their level of technological investment in their military. This is one reason I think talk about transforming some Army units into full time advisors is a mistake, they the U.S. trainers won't have relevant skills in basic bush craft, infantry, etc. Not only will they be dependent on technology those they're training won't have, they'll come across as fake if they're not experts in their field. You become expert by living the life day in and day out. We would be better off maintaining combat readiness, and pulling advisors from these units as required.
More than anything else though, our security assistance efforts must be part of a larger whole of government effort to be effective. If you apply just war theory to our steady-state operations, that means our efforts should both support human rights and ensure a better peace. Clearly that isn't the case in many situation. That is most often due to focusing on the wrong problem first (military development).
Nonetheless, that doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue security assistance as a tool to pursue our ends. What it shouldn't be in my opinion is a principle part of our strategic approach. We have demonstrated repeatedly that it fails more often than not as a method to achieve our desired ends.
Furthermore on the critical side is the so called indirect and slow approach has many draw backs that its advocates are hesitant to discuss. Long, indirect, and slow approaches often result in devastated local economies, perverted cultural morals based on violence, a militarized society whose human capital can do little more than fight and survive, and these groups often turn into warlords and/or organized criminal groups after the conflict finally ends. I think there is a parallel to the high level of violence we see Central America now to the long insurgencies that took place their throughout much of the Cold War. There is a cost that isn't always apparent if you focus on short term objectives to going slow (more than 3-5 years) versus pursuing a more decisive option if it is available. Instead of standing up multiple battalions of combat forces that the country can't sustain, imagine what that country could do if the threat was relatively rapidly neutralized (including political settlements), and that money was put into developing economic infrastructure and its human capital instead? What course of action is likely to result in longer term stability and better peace? I know it is idealistic, but we need to stop assuming that security assistance is the default answer to all our security problems.
Absolutely.
I would also observe that SSR generally focuses on the military at the expense of the police forces and that both are required. Furthermore a degree of competence in the police while raising the competence of the military could induce a degree of competitive stability into the security sector dynamic that may enhance stability overall.
RR
"War is an option of difficulties"
Pliny The Elder is quoted as saying:
Ex Africa semper aliquid novi - (There is always something new in Africa)
This is of course nonsense other than to those who have little knowledge and/or understanding of Africa.
Much is predictable in Africa as elsewhere expect to those who attempt to transplant principles and approaches from Europe or North America directly without thought.
Training the police is as fruaght with difficulties as training the militaries.
Kenyans five times more likely to be shot dead by police than by criminals
and then:British aid focused on reforming Kenya's security services fails to slow deaths at the hands of police force considered among the world's most corrupt
Now here is the crunch:Providing training and advice to reform the country's security sector and its police is part of the £125 million that the Department for International Development gives Kenya in aid each year.
The sad truth is that the Brits are achieving absolutely nothing in Africa, and probably neither are the French... so what chance have the Americans or for that matter the Chinese?Significant chunks of Britain's aid for police reform was directed to establishing the Independent Police Oversight Authority, which despite a staff of 80 has so far failed to complete any investigations more than two years after it was formed.
JMA,
Achieving nothing? I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. Can something be achieved? Obviously al-Qaeda linked groups are making progress to some degree, proving organizations can effect Africa. They would have made more progress without assistance from the West, so I think we're achieving something, though far short of what is desired. Africa nations' economies are some the fastest growing in the world currently. If you're optimist you can see a positive trend line. A very slow trend, but a trend nonetheless.
What should the West, and China for that matter, do in Africa in your view?
Well Bill I guess someone may be able to produce even a short list of recent British achievements in Africa?
Even in the days of empire many of the decisions and policy made and formulated in London were clearly misdirected, ill-informed or just plain ludicrous. In the colonies which allowed settlers an understanding of things Africa and African was being passed down through the generations.
In Britain today there are no people in policy/decision making or advisory positions who have sufficient knowledge/experience of Africa or any idea just how complex a continent Africa is . (I guess those who may disagree with this statement of mine will be able to provide a list of 'qualified' persons and how they have made a difference).
I would suggest that the methods used by al-Qaeda and other jihadi groups are more effective because once they have 'a foot in the door' through an approach through traditional religious structures are then, once established, able to apply coercion at a level of brutality no civilized country could consider.
The African economies that are growing are either through oil and mineral development of are producing unrealistic growth figures as they are off a very low base.
That said we are talking military and police/security advice support here and none of this helps to grow the economy other than where a peace divident is achieved after a civil or other war.
We could go on...
The formal title to this blog comment is 'Security Force Assistance: Creating a New Paradigm', the author is a serving US Army infantry captain, so extra value IMHO:http://foreign-intrigue.com/2014/08/...-new-paradigm/
davidbfpo
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