COIN case: LRA Lords Resistance Army

[JMA]

Lets look a a segment of that quote again, shall we:

About half a mile from the target, two Ugandans and two Americans went ahead to conduct reconnaissance. They found a camp of 28 beds made of stacked grass that ringed the perimeter. But the beds were empty, and the fighters were gone, having most likely escaped a few days earlier. This happened all the time.

I highlight what I consider to be the key to the problem.

With brutal honesty I would suggest that the LRA's bush craft and early warning systems are constantly underestimated - how close were the troops dropped by aircraft? Also the Ugandans would not be too unhappy to find these camps empty - and thus avoid combat. And I suggest the US troops knowledge of terrain and this enemy is underdeveloped.

I suggest a little reading of the Mau Mau in Kenya to understand the level of tracking and bushcraft skill needed to counter those 100% in tune with their environment through a lifetime of experience living in the bush.