Counterinsurgency Quotes
Power to legislate had just been given to Hitler and his cabinet.
He fought in Algeria and other counterinsurgencies and then studied them. He wrote the classic book on counterinsurgency warfare. After all the mistakes the U. S. made after the successful invasion of Iraq, his book and doctrine were very influential in the change in strategy and tactics that turned the Iraq War in our favor.
Ever since the end of WWII, no major war has been fought where there has been a classic victory where one nation is conquered by another and there is a surrender. Many of the wars have been fought against non-state actors or our war aim is a regime change or the establishment of a more friendly government. We have no desire to occupy the countries generally, and there is often no one “in charge” of the enemy who can even surrender. Bruce was referring to the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. In each case, despite the lack of a surrender document, it can be said that America won both of these wars initially and then had great trouble with the occupation, the nation building, and keeping the peace. In Iraq and Afghanistan we suffered almost no casualties in the initial invasions. The occupation and “peace” is where we suffered almost all of our casualties.
This issue has vexed American in every war in which the nation has been engaged. Lincoln’s policy, herein stated, has always been the American policy, yet it has caused the same dissatisfaction and complaint over and over. No one has found an alternative to have a remedy for the evil of harboring terrorists, spies, insurgents, whatever they are called.
The Russians, who had invaded Afghanistan successfully, then proceeded to lose Afghanistan.
At the time he was commenting on the War in Afghanistan.
The “constraints” include an unwillingness to use atomic, chemical and biological warfare; no torture; execution or assassination of all insurgents possible; killing and intimidation of civilians; due process.
