I wouldn't underestimate the other skill sets that modern cosmopolitan urban populations might bring to a COIN campaign, including multiple languages, a greater likelihood of global travel, and a lifetime of experience in cross-cultural environments.

In this sense, the Rhodesian COIN experience was a very different fight than the current FM3-24 type engagements. The Rhodesian campaign was rural-centric, whereas Iraq at least is a mix of rural and highly urbanized contexts. More importantly, in both Iraq and Afghanistan enhancing government legitimacy and securing or shifting the political loyalties of the population are a fundamental objective. In Rhodesia, by contrast, the white minority regime was never going to win the long-term legitimacy war, however many battles it might win the bush against African nationalist guerillas.