From: Adam 

Rich Gauszka wrote:
> From 1-22 of the COIN manual  ( thanks for the link )
>
> PARADOXES OF COUNTERINSURGENCY
>
> The More You Protect Your Force, The Less Secure You Are
>


Yup. The old firebases while the VC control the countryside problem vs the
UK going out into the Jungles of Malaya & (A) making friends with the
locals (b) protecting the locals & (c) scaring the CT'es thus denying
them freedom of movement & thus action.


> The More Force Used, the Less Effective It Is
>

If the people hate you you will lose & the best way to get people to
hate you is to kill their nearest & dearest esp if innocent.

> The More Successful COIN is, the Less Force That Can be Used and the More
> Risk That Must be Accepted
>

Becomes a policing operation. The sooner the mil becomes a "bases
& borders" operation the healthier the state. e.g. if the Iraqi
mil get too adept at "internal security" then...how long post
peace is the first coup?


> Sometimes Doing Nothing is the Best Reaction
>

Yup. It's a PR/Perception battle in which you must be the good guys.

> The Best Weapons for COIN Do Not Shoot
>

 Indeed. Policing is by consent & it should become a police operation
ASAP & the police must operate by consent & ......kill people
destroys consent.

> The Host Nation Doing Something Tolerably is Sometimes Better Than Us Doing
> It Well
>

Very much so. Compare what your feeling would be if arrested by foreigners
in you own country vs being arrested by your own police/fellow nationals.
Now consider how many locals will help a foreign force arrest their own.

> If A Tactic Works This Week, It Might Not Work Next Week; If It Works In
> This Province, It
> Might Not Work In The Next
>

Geography, culture, population density etc.etc. all matter.


> Tactical Success Guarantees Nothing
>
> Most of the Important Decisions are Not Made By Generals
>

All COIN is about "consent to be ruled". That's a pol's job.

Adam

>
> "Ad"  wrote in message
> news:45b7360e$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>> Rich Gauszka wrote:
>>
>> I like Petraeus.
>>
>> His coin manual is one of the first pieces of sense I've seen in a while
>> from the US mil. Most of it was lifted from UK experiences dating back to
>> colonial policing days.
>>
>> http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-24fd.pdf
>>
>> The question is....is he lucky....?
>>
>> 'Ability is of little account without opportunity'
>>
>> N. Bonaparte
>>
>> So let's hope Lady Luck is smiling on him.
>>
>> Adam
>
>

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