Bollixed Up
We seem not to realize the central fact
that each one of us is responsible
for what is going on in the world,
the terror, violence, wars.
--J. Krishnamurti
_______________
A 4/16 Wall Street Journal Op Ed lumped Counterinsurgency [COIN] and Counterterrorism [CT] into the same bundle. The writer used the terms interchangeably; unfortunately, they are they are anything but.
The writer said winning hearts and minds was a goal of CT. This is far from the truth.
Hearts and Minds is a bogus COIN construction that has no application in CT. The stated goal of COIN is to win the hearts and minds of the population, thereby denying recruitment and support from flowing from the people to the terrorists. (Really, we'll kill insurgents, nationalist movement members, guerrillas and anyone else in the line of fire.)
In contrast, the goal of CT is to destroy and obliterate terrorists. In the confused Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©), this mission is also applied to insurgents, militants, guerrillas and anti-government forces.
Since it is difficult to ascertain the actual CT mission today, the violence of suppressing these groups spreads to the population in general, which negatively impacts upon the more positive expressed intents of COIN.
COIN and CT are neither complementary nor equivalent concepts, and are in fact contradictory programs.
In any event, CT and COIN are both faulty bills of goods.
that each one of us is responsible
for what is going on in the world,
the terror, violence, wars.
--J. Krishnamurti
_______________
A 4/16 Wall Street Journal Op Ed lumped Counterinsurgency [COIN] and Counterterrorism [CT] into the same bundle. The writer used the terms interchangeably; unfortunately, they are they are anything but.
The writer said winning hearts and minds was a goal of CT. This is far from the truth.
Hearts and Minds is a bogus COIN construction that has no application in CT. The stated goal of COIN is to win the hearts and minds of the population, thereby denying recruitment and support from flowing from the people to the terrorists. (Really, we'll kill insurgents, nationalist movement members, guerrillas and anyone else in the line of fire.)
In contrast, the goal of CT is to destroy and obliterate terrorists. In the confused Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©), this mission is also applied to insurgents, militants, guerrillas and anti-government forces.
Since it is difficult to ascertain the actual CT mission today, the violence of suppressing these groups spreads to the population in general, which negatively impacts upon the more positive expressed intents of COIN.
COIN and CT are neither complementary nor equivalent concepts, and are in fact contradictory programs.
In any event, CT and COIN are both faulty bills of goods.
Labels: bollixed up, bush's shameful legacy. PWOT, COIN, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, phony war on terror
posted by rangeragainstwar at 7:29 AM
10 Comments:
You're absolutely right that without a clear-cut, well-defined mission with measurable objectives, you cannot succeed because you don't even know how to define success. In Washington's mind, if you don't know what you are doing you can't possibly fail, so it's to their advantage to not define a damn thing.
It's like trying to design a part as a mechanical engineer without any thought to what you want the part to do.
Instead, we have politicians who focus on the sales aspect, where they sell you a line of bullshit to get elected and what they are saying has no connection at all to the realities of the situation. Like Ayn Rand says, A=A and there is no way around it, no matter what you think.
First paragraph of an op order- situation. You need to know where you stand. Second paragraph- mission. You need to know where to go.
On a similar note, I just got through reading Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine by Tyler E. Boudreau. In it the author notes how when he went to Iraq the mission was to win the hearts and minds of the people. However to do this you send in the Marines whose mission is to kill people. Some real thought provoking stuff there. His insights on Post Traumatic Stress are very enlightening. Great writing, great book, I highly recommend it.
Grant,
I think we'd all do much better if we'd follow the OPORD rule: Admit your situation, and choose a mission.
Honesty: A = A.
tw,
Thank you for your extreme thoughtfulness. Jim shared that a little bird had sent "The Unmaking of a Marine". This looks like a fine book, and I am looking forward to reading it next. Also, checking out his blog site.
Nothing wrong with CT. It's a legitimate mission so long as there are terrorists. Terrorists ain't "freedom fighters." They're criminals and they deserve whatever they get.
COIN, OTOH, is a chimera, best left to a government that wishes to stave off its own people without assistance from others. Why on earth would I have any problems with Dictator A fighting against Freedom Fighter B on their own turf, so long as they leave me alone? There are roughly six billion people on this planet whom I care about in the abstract, but whose fate I also know is not within my ability to change.
The problem with the U.S. government is that it's got too much power and too many resources and just can't seem to resist mucking around in other peoples' business. Our government is also both duplicitous and stupid, duplicitous because it justifies its interference in others' affairs by citing terrorist concerns, and stupid because too many high level people actually believe their own lies and expect the American people to believe them as well.
CT is righteous and can actually make a difference. COIN is not and will not. COIN is ultimately social work, with expected results roughly akin to what's happened in our 40-year "war on poverty."
The unfortunate reality is that we've all gone down Alice's hole.
TW,
Thanks for the book.
I glossed it today. Will read it while in NAPA valley.
jim
Grant, An opord is like a news article;who/what/when/where and how.
Pretty damn simple.
Glad to hear from you.
jim
Publius,
We're in agreement, I simply point out that they ain't the same dog.
jim
Ranger,
I'm not one for recommending many books but this one might help some of the boys out there who are having problems. For that matter, anyone who has to deal with PTS.
"it's not a disorder, it's a war wound!"
TW,
According to the DSM PTSD is not restricted to combat delayed stress, it applies to a multitude of experiences outside the range of normal human experience.
I thank you again and i will read the book. Thanks for being a good friend.
jim
TW, Sorry i forgot. Thanks for the CD, I will listen to it upon return from califorication.
I've been busier than the one armed man.
jim
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