Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell, IV, the American Army general charged with writing the Army’s doctrine, recently stated:
"The future is not one of major battles and engagements fought by armies on battlefields devoid of population; instead, the course of conflict will be decided by forces operating among the people of the world. Here, the margin of victory will be measured in far different terms than the wars of our past. The allegiance, trust, and confidence of populations will be the final arbiters of success."
The idea of populations as the prize in war, that they are the focus, is drawn directly from the pages of FM 3-24.
Perhaps COL Gentile spoke too soon when he announced the death of COIN. Insurgency, and war amongst the people, seems to be the way to go ...