I agree with this quote 100%. What I find interesting is that Cheney preached Boyd’s maneuver warfare concepts and implemented them in the conventional warfare phases, but completely ignored it and the basics “Art of War” or Von Clausewitz type stuff (fundamentals) when things changed. The battlefield changed, but his leadership did not adapt to the dynamics. Bush and his team are static fixtures and are unable to leverage the appropriate psychological operations from a poltical and diplomatic standpoint.

Fallujah is a case study in how our troops were willing to do their parts, but from a psychological warfare standpoint the insurgency gained the higher ground. A successful insurgency isn’t necessarily one that is militarily successful, but one that is politically. The USMC wanted to tread lighlty and use the appropriate COIN operations after the 4 blackwater contractors were murdered. They believed the worse had already been done, and reacting to it in a heavy handed manner would only worsen things. They did. Bing West’s No True Glory describes this in detail as do many other articles.

Instead of procuring high price items such as the F-22 (I have reversed my position on this. Talking to people who used to be on the program gives you a different perspective), Virginia class subs, DDX, two years into the insurgency we needed mine/IED defeating vehicles such as the RG-31 Nayala, Cougar, Buffalo, Dingo which are already deployed by other nations. Up armoring HMMWVs doesn’t defeat IED’s (the primary killer of our troops). The V shaped hulls deflect the blast rather than trying to fight it. Not only would these save troops, but also deny the enemy a psychological warfare tool that keeps the pressure on troops and gains headlines when they kill some, sending news all over the world.

Haditha needs to be dispositioned in the courts immediately and transparently to gain any ground. Any violators of UCMJ should be punished accordingly.

By the way, for those of you who like me are students of counter-insurgency operations…

I found a recommendation on Professionalsoldiers.com, a website run by former and current United States Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets): Human Factors Considerations of Undergrounds in Insurgencies as essential reading. I’m definitely adding it to the list. Great discussions and information there.

NOTE: If you decide to sign up and join this website, tread lightly. Read all the rules first and lurk before getting a feel of the place. They’re some serious folks.

What I find puzzling is the right winger’s unconditional support to everything that US foreign policy establishment. What I find more puzzling is that they dont see the irony, when they criticize Islamists for giving other Islamists unconditional support.

Colbert is amusing at times – but he’s really just a less annoying Mark Russell without the piano playing.

A classic Colbert technique… pulling the old specious ploy of “I pretend to agree with you while lamely attempting to lampoon your comment with something unconnected” .

I’d pay to see that idiot Katie Couric having a close encounter with an IED on the frontlines…