Paper and COIN: Exploiting the Enemy's Documents

[Tom Odom]

It's amazing how many people seem to view trust as an "either/or" proposition, without understanding that there are varying degrees of trust that they use every day without thinking about it. The empathy/sympathy issue has been around at least as long as Small Wars...it was an issue during the Indian Wars and again during Vietnam (look at some of the commentary that came out of the Montagnard rebellion).

Guys

It is equally amazing how many folks go the other way--because they are locals hired, they are locals with the keys to the inner sanctum. And the folks who have handed them the keys get very defensive when you challenge them about such decisions.

Steve is correct and it is a matter of degree--but up to a point. The real challenge is establishing where that point is and doing that comes from experience-based intuition and a willingness to accept risk. Frankly there were times that I trusted members of the host nation or contacts living within the host nation more than I did some US counterparts. But every time it was on a case by case basis with a deliberate assessment of risk and never was it a case of such and such is "all around good guy, great human being, my friend and I will tell him everything".

Best

Tom

[Steve Blair]

Guys

It is equally amazing how many folks go the other way--because they are locals hired, they are locals with the keys to the inner sanctum. And the folks who have handed them the keys get very defensive when you challenge them about such decisions.

Steve is correct and it is a matter of degree--but up to a point. The real challenge is establishing where that point is and doing that comes from experience-based intuition and a willingness to accept risk. Frankly there were times that I trusted members of the host nation or contacts living within the host nation more than I did some US counterparts. But every time it was on a case by case basis with a deliberate assessment of risk and never was it a case of such and such is "all around good guy, great human being, my friend and I will tell him everything".

Best

Tom

Exactly. Ten characters...give or take....