We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead

We Have Encountered the Enemy... And it is Us

We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead

Critics of counterinsurgency and stability operations might argue that the lesson we really need to learn from the last decade is to avoid involvement in them in the first place. This argument suffers from three critical flaws. The first, as mentioned above, is that we did not intend to get involved in counterinsurgency operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, and only through a comprehensive review of our operations will we come close to knowing how that really happened. The second flaw is that the argument ignores the nature of war. Most militaries don’t choose counterinsurgency, but rather insurgency chooses them. Our future adversaries are unlikely to play to our strengths, i.e. combined arms maneuver warfare, but are likely to seek asymmetric alternatives that attack our vulnerabilities. The last ten years have provided those adversaries with plenty of material to study and...

Full article: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/we-have-encountered-...

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@CatherineTSerex » 17 Oct '12, 12pm
Andrew Lembke for @smallwars on need to comprehensively re-evaluate the way the mil approaches conflict; great stuff [link]
@smallwars » 10 Oct '12, 11pm
ICYMI An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@pcdnetwork » 10 Oct '12, 10pm
RT @StateCSO: Is it time to reconsider popular approaches to addressing conflict around the world? The answer might be yes... [link]
@StateCSO » 10 Oct '12, 10pm
Is it time to reconsider popular approaches to addressing conflict around the world? The answer might be yes... [link]
@Kaymee » 10 Oct '12, 8pm
RT @kennethlipp: We Have Encountered the Enemy And It is Us [link] "History is a catalogue of mistakes. It is our duty to profit by them.”
@kennethlipp » 10 Oct '12, 7pm
We Have Encountered the Enemy And It is Us [link] "History is a catalogue of mistakes. It is our duty to profit by them.”
@neilshortland » 10 Oct '12, 2pm
#US and #UK #Army: by failing to prepare are we preparing to fail? "We Have Encountered the Enemy... And it is Us" [link]
@J_McIlwaine » 10 Oct '12, 2pm
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@T_J_Leonard » 10 Oct '12, 1pm
MT @smallwars: We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@smallwars » 10 Oct '12, 1pm
We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@smallwars » 10 Oct '12, 12pm
We Have Encountered the Enemy... And it is Us: By: Andrew Lembke Understanding the great paradox of the U... [link]
@fanfi85 » 10 Oct '12, 12pm
We Have Encountered the Enemy... And it is Us [link]
@Tmgneff » 12 Oct '12, 3am
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy... and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@SuperEvilBrian » 11 Oct '12, 10pm
[link]
@nlonergan » 11 Oct '12, 8am
RT @smallwars: ICYMI An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@marc_c0 » 11 Oct '12, 12am
RT @StateCSO: Is it time to reconsider popular approaches to addressing conflict around the world? The answer might be yes... [link]
@VFWPost2866 » 10 Oct '12, 11pm
RT @StateCSO: Is it time to reconsider popular approaches to addressing conflict around the world? The answer might be yes... [link]
@IlcoMasterPeace » 10 Oct '12, 11pm
RT @StateCSO: Is it time to reconsider popular approaches to addressing conflict around the world? The answer might be yes... [link]
@charliealpha011 » 10 Oct '12, 6pm
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy... and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@smallwars » 10 Oct '12, 6pm
We have met the enemy... and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@jpraab » 10 Oct '12, 2pm
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@JohnRDreyer » 10 Oct '12, 2pm
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@DeepBlue82 » 10 Oct '12, 2pm
RT @smallwars: We have met the enemy and it is us. An argument for a comprehensive review of our recent wars and a better way ahead [link]
@InfluenceGuy » 10 Oct '12, 1pm
We Have Encountered the Enemy… And it is Us: By: Andrew Lembke Understanding the great paradox of the U.S.... [link]