Understanding the Enemy

[Ken White]

All true -- I believe that translates as 'know and accept your limitations.'

[George L. Singleton]

I don't think so, and don't agree that better propaganda (via VoA) is the answer. Sometimes, folks see through that for the sham work that it is. Often, the simple fact remains that our ideas and constructs just don't translate over. Add to that the fact that within societies such as the tribal, Arab, and Islamic one we worked so hard to shape and control in Iraq, any message coming from us is going to be ignored and downplayed, and information operations can be a tall order.

Providing accurate facts that get ahead of jihadist information, is sometimes the best that we can do, methinks.

Mike et al who disdain psyops and civil affiars, mere military power is not and will not by itself work. If you defy the reality of tactical, simple psyops used both against the Japanese in the jungles of the Pacific, simple loudspeakers...used both by the Japanese and our Allies...ditto same process via battlefield use of speaker psyops by the North Koreans in Korean War, then you are the get go are missing part of the total mix it took to win, only in the case of WW II where our commitment was nationally absolutely with the draft, etc., and go to the less absolute process of the Korean War where began the "incremental" 50+ year long Cold War mindset and process.

I'd like to resort to carpet bombing with no holds barred in Northern Pakistan and major areas of Afghanistan but it did not work, long term shortly after 911 in Afghanistan, and feeds the enemy's psyops if we tried it again now.

We all agree on one hard fact. Muslims are different and we are not about to change the goofy to us moraes and value system (whatever that means) of the enemy that runs across so many fabled, ficional, as well as factual histories of a tribal,ethnic, cultural level as to be like trying to hold your breath while taking an around the world trip.

[William F. Owen]

Mike et al who disdain psyops and civil affiars, mere military power is not and will not by itself work. If you defy the reality of tactical, simple psyops used both against the Japanese in the jungles of the Pacific, simple loudspeakers...used both by the Japanese and our Allies...ditto same process via battlefield use of speaker psyops by the North Koreans in Korean War,....

Mere military power? I can think of countless campaigns and operations where PSYOPS and CA played no part, what is more there is not a huge raft of evidence that PSYOPS have ever consistently rewarded it's returns.

If playing cries of hungry baby or tortured animal over loud speakers, breaks will and makes sleep difficult then "hurrah" and we should do it, as long as it costs us very little and gets verifiable results.

[MikeF]

Mike et al who disdain psyops and civil affiars, mere military power is not and will not by itself work.

First, I don't disdain Psyops. Some of our best work is being done in Africa right now below the radar by small SF and psyops teams. Your statement is simply wrong. Psyops is an enabler not a branch.

We all agree on one hard fact. Muslims are different and we are not about to change the goofy to us moraes and value system (whatever that means) of the enemy that runs across so many fabled, ficional, as well as factual histories of a tribal,ethnic, cultural level as to be like trying to hold your breath while taking an around the world trip.

We is relative. Many feel that there is an American living inside each and every person on this Earth. Maybe there is Just ask Paul Wolfowitz or GW.

Here's what Thomas Jefferson said about it...

"War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong;
and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses."
—Thomas Jefferson, 1810

Right now, I would submit that we are going about things in the most inefficient way possible. In the end, it drives down to money. That concerns me. When I look around to where we've had success, often times I see small groups of advisors working under the radar. What they do is cheap, quiet, and it seems to work.

But, I'm just a tanker that ended up jumping out of airplanes. I'm probably just confused. I did bump my head a lot.

v/r

Mike

[CPT Foley]

Military thinkers are generally very good historians, but they tend to marginalize literature as "just fiction." I think it's also important to study a culture's literature to increase cultural awareness. When I read Fouad Ajami's "Dream Palace of the Arabs" I was struck by his constant references to poets and novelists, e.g., the Syrian exile Adonis (pen name). After reading the poems of Adonis I do feel like I have a better of the alienation of the modern Arab.

[CPT Foley]

We do need to better understand the Muslim world to win the IO battle. It's less about understanding the enemy than understanding the complex culture that produces the enemy.

We don't need to turn Soldiers into Fouad Ajami, but we need an Officer & NCO Corps committed to learning Arab culture/history & Islam just as well as they learned Air-Land Battle. Lots of our Soldiers are, but it still needs more focus. Soldiers interested in pursuing Middle Eastern Study degrees should get exponentially greater tuition assistance incentives, etc.

There are no guarantees that we will ever gain 'understanding', but we will be better equipped to.