A small war: Aden till 1967

[davidbfpo]

Elsewhere in the Afghanistan arena SWC have discussed an exit, so the linked historian's article should help; the author, Andrew Mumford, is a British academic who has written on COIN. The article's full title is: 'Exit strategies in counter-insurgency: Britain in Aden and the lessons for Afghanistan'.

First the summary:

The exit strategy enacted in Aden in 1967 by British armed forces shows the dangers of a highly politicised and hasty withdrawal from a complex counter-insurgency campaign.

The campaign in Aden marked the most distinct turning point in the conduct of British counter-insurgency since World War Two, ushering in a new phase in how counter-insurgency was planned, executed, and concluded.

Examining the British withdrawal from Aden in 1967 offers some useful insights for British forces today as they prepare to exit from Afghanistan, This process could help avoid the humiliation suffered by the British Army in 1967: troops being shot at until the last soldier boarded the final boat home.

The effect of politicising exit strategies from counter-insurgency wars reduces room for manoeuvre on the ground: instead of the ability to react to qualitative assessments of the security situation, troops must meet a pre-set timetable. This should be avoided in Afghanistan.

Link:http://www.historyandpolicy.org/pape...paper-144.html