If you're interested, we've compared and contrasted the nature of gangs and insurgencies in various threads. This one is about the issues in NorCal.
John P. Sullivan has also written extensively in SWJ on the issues in LA and future threats.
If you're interested, we've compared and contrasted the nature of gangs and insurgencies in various threads. This one is about the issues in NorCal.
John P. Sullivan has also written extensively in SWJ on the issues in LA and future threats.
This is some really interesting stuff and in my opinion, should have happened a while ago. Not only are we possibly causing the Taliban to appear as criminals (which may or may not be good as Rex mentioned), but we are strengthening the enforcement of the law. Having guys trained take down gangs with the proper law enforcement techniques is better than sending in heavily armed guys that start a firefight for obvious reasons. Ideal results: Less "gangs" through action that doesn't completely disturb and annoy the population.
It would even be better if we could try to pass this law enforcement training to the Afghan National Police. Yes the ANP have alot of issues to work out, but we are mainly providing them with paramilitary training right now. If they learn how to do "proper" law enforcement (methods of handling evidence, undercover agents, CSI, etc), then in the long term, I think they would be more efficient and the situation would be better. An interesting article discussing this was published by FP a couple of weeks ago.
This is a good step, especially when thinking long term. We will see how it works out.
I will make sure to check out John Sullivan's work.
This is exactly how you attack the counter message. They are "fakers" of Islam. They are not heroes they are punks. Battles for legitimate rules of neighborhoods happen everyday. Insurgencies can be gangs/organized crime on empowered to the level of direct action against it rivals or legitimate government. The other way to combat them would be through a rival gang. Crips vs blood then their resources are expended at that level instead of government actors. Gang A kills Gang B and you put Gang B in prison two for the price of one.
Interesting article and great initiative by the Marines...certainly supports various findings over the years that this 'new war' is possibly more akin to policing and CRIMINT than it is to the Fulda Gap...
...however I'm a little wary about criminalising the Taliban at the same as they are one of the key power blocs that needs to be brought to the table. It's just not a simple case of black and white, good v bad where groups can be categorised and boxed up that easily - and as Rex points out the bigger criminals maybe those in the Afghan government. I think that we might be better off int he long term considering the Taliban as competitors in AFG as opposed to direct adversaries/enemies (as we may once have thought of Soviet Russia, China, Nazi Germany, etc) and accept that this new environment just multiple layers of grey and that means that we will probably need to accept unsavoury partnerships and alliances in support of the long term game...
Sullivan's writings can be found here. My favorite is his last with Adam Elkus, an up and coming defense analyst. Adam has his own blog on strategy and security issues here.
IRT Taliban/AQ as criminals, I still tend towards the thoughts of some of my Pak Army brothers that I got to spend some time with in Monterey.
Mike, they are nothing more than miscreants. Your stupid GWOT gives them credence and credibility of which they do not deserve.
Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-14-2010 at 09:09 AM. Reason: Place last sentence in quote marks
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