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2005-04-12 Iraq-Jordan

(Ralph Peters)10 lessons from the war in Iraq

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Posted by tipper 2005-04-12 05:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I think he makes the case for his list rather well. He is grinding away on his personal list of gripes, of course, but his view is honestly put from his POV and he's been there / done that - though long ago and in very different circumstances. I would say that there are a few personal grudges cooking within which detract from the results. In the end, however, I can't fault his recommendations regards manpower and derision of the bureaucratic processes that can be deadly at the pointed end of the stick.

I'd like to know more about his view of the importance of cultural knowledge. If he means knowledge so that effective overall and ad hoc strategies can be employed toward effective results, knowing the mindset of the enemy and civilians who might be potential enemy, then amen. The idiotarian notion of cultural sensitivity is quite another thing, especially in combat - it can easily kill as many as it saves. Knowing your enemy is, indeed, important. Especially so is knowing what they respect.

There should be little doubt that we will face more Arabs, in combat, in the future. The lessons taken away from Iraq should be very carefully selected. For the combat variety, I'd rather rely upon the people from squad level down - and resist the leadership penchant for summarizing at each level upstream until there is only vapor that bears no resemblance to what the Lance Corporal and Gunny originally said. Sorry, Ralph, but you aren't the man to write those down - your role is to be a gadfly against inefficiencies in the system and to champion the needs of those squad members as they, themselves, define them. Looks like you're doing a pretty damned good job of it, lol - just can the grudges.

Posted by .com 2005-04-12 7:06:40 AM|| 2005-04-12 7:06:40 AM|| Front Page Top

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