Relearning Counterinsurgency Warfare

I found the long but brillant article that sums up the problem the USA and its allies face in Iraq

Quotes
Presumably steeped in counterinsurgency warfare, Task Force 121 and other units operating against Iraqi resistance have learned the lessons of past modern wars. They will not simply sweep towns. This won't defeat an organized insurgency. Instead, the enemy's organization must be targeted to defeat the clandestine organization attempting to impose its will on the Iraqi people.

Let us not forgot the most important aspect of the war is the people and winning over the population.

Despite unparalleled improvements in military intelligence, the United States does not seem to have the depth and breadth required in human intelligence (humint) and cultural intelligence arenas. Arabic linguists are lacking. Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Stephen Cambone, discussing intelligence shortcomings documented in an internal report, might have understated the problem, admitting, "We're a little short on the humint side; there's no denying it

I think that this is the U.S military greatest weakness in this case the lack of human Intelligence. U.S military leaders forgot that high tech weapons are only as good as the people who use them.

One cannot understand the theory and practice of counterinsurgency warfare without understanding the socio-political-economic intricacies of the "cause" which insurgents use to mobilize support. Without a cause, the insurgency cannot persuade the population to join or assist in the campaign.
Dose anyone outside of Iraq know what the insurgents want other then U.S troops out of Iraq?
I am amazed that took less then a generation for the "lessons" and experiance of counterinsurgency warfare to be lost..

Other points raised in the article include encourging media that supports the Iraqi government. I also think the yanks need to re think there tactics in Iraq using massive amounts of fire power against the insurents is not a good way of winning over the population.
Full story

They should have split the country 3 ways after they got saddam out, kurds north, sunni middle and sjiites south, do not even occupy the cities and expose yourselve to insurgancy, just occupy the seperation lines between the split part (this should be in open terrain so no car bombs/snipers could sneak in easily. People would need visa/cspeacial clearance to be allowed travelling the demarcation lines.

Let all them factions fight amongst themselves and decide who is gonna lead them, works better than elections and ordinary civilians could certainly not blame you for all theterrorist activity in the fight for the throne, they should blame their own people plus they have more humint about them to counter it if they want to..., do have however some nearby airbases in the more friendly kurdish north, so you can do a surgical strike here and there to pick off some unfavourable wannabe leader that doesn't want to sign your oilcontracts...


[edit on 29-12-2004 by Countermeasures]

They should have split the country 3 ways after they got saddam out, kurds north, sunni middle and sjiites south, do not even occupy the cities and expose yourselve to insurgancy, just occupy the seperation lines between the split part (this should be in open terrain so no car bombs/snipers could sneak in easily. People would need visa/cspeacial clearance to be allowed travelling the demarcation lines.

I 100% agree with what you have said. It is ashame that U.S miliitary leaders dont have the same grasp on the situation at hand.