Quote Originally Posted by jcustis View Post
Wilf, are you arguing that the so-called POP-COIN is less likely to utilize force?

I've taken it to mean that you can't rely on force alone, and that you have to get good at applying a whole range of TTPs in order to present options, thus allowing you to focus on the population at the same time that you are continuing to target the knuckleheads.
I'm not arguing anything on behalf of POP-COIN. I am arguing that you need to go an hunt, harass, make life miserable for the bad guys, and only the bad guys Bad guys are only those trying to kill you or kill civilians.

And with respect to villages and things that go bump in the night, if you are tucked in your FOB and COP and distant from the population, you can try to target the BGs and chase them all you want, but you still have to be connected to the people, in whatever massed areas they are (and the roaming Bedouin-types too). This is for the aspect of FIND, as well as anything else.
Concur. Lots of Ambushes, lots of OPs. Lots of informer networks within the population. Find any excuse to visit villages and chat a bit to the locals. All good stuff.

The paradigm I'd want to establish is that ISAF never do any harm, to good people. The only people harming the good people are the Taliban. The people harming the Taliban are ISAF.
I don't want to promise the People I'll protect them from the Taliban (because I cannot). I will promise to avenge any deaths the Taliban cause (because I can) - and the Pashtun understand vengeance.