New Guidance on Counter-Insurgency

[Dayuhan]

Comments on comments, looking back over a useful discussion...

The policy is to force a Pro-US Government in A'Stan. Correct?

Is this the policy? I hope not, because if it is, we're toast. A more reasonable goal would be a government that is not going to attack anyone or host those who do. Personally, I don't care if they are pro-US or anti-US. As long as they don't resort to violence in pursuit of that orientation, or give sanctuary to those who do, how they feel about the US is not for us to decide.

we ARE NOT (or should not) be doing COIN in Afghanistan, but are supporting another government's COIN effort.

True in a sense, but the government in question is our creation. We need to remember that, because nobody else in the picture is likely to forget it.

I have no problem with that. My focus on irregular warfare begins once the policy is to prevent the "Insurgent" from gaining his goal using violence. If he wants to use the Ballot box, or dialogue, then good luck.

Wilf, are you assuming here that the policy-makers have sorted this stuff out before you come into the picture? If so, your faith in the policy-makers exceeds mine by several orders of magnitude.

I recall rumours about Soviet Spetznaz officers who allegedly stalked in the night and stabbed mujaheddin and their supporters. That apparently freaked out a lot of mujaheddin.

And at the end of the day, who was left standing?