David Kilcullen, the Australian anthropologist who partnered with U.S. General David Petraeus to implement the American “surge” counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, spoke via satellite to the Conference of Defence Associations Institute seminar in Ottawa today.
Tag Archives: counterinsurgency
Pakistan, where the cautionary tales of future counterinsurgency texts are being written today
“Earlier Pakistani campaigns against the Taliban do not offer an encouraging precedent. In Bajaur, a part of the tribal areas, two main economic centers, the market towns of Loe Sam and Inayat Kalay, remain in ruins nearly eight months after the army smashed them in pursuit of the Taliban and claimed victory.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan: Compare and contrast
U.S. Tightens Airstrike Policy in Afghanistan
Afghanistan/Pakistan: Death from above 2009
U.S. military has massively expanded use of remote-piloted drone attacks within Pakistan since last autumn, and especially since Obama’s inauguration.
On not winning in Afghanistan
Understanding the cost and reasons for it helps, writes Paul Wells, but by itself it doesn’t fix anything
How to beat an insurgency by killing fewer people
Progress in Afghanistan shouldn’t be measured by the number of dead Taliban
Megapundit: Deutschland über Ottawa!
Must-reads: Henry Aubin on the Order of Canada; Graham Thomson in Kandahar; Vaughn Palmer on BC’s emissions targets.