Remember when nation building was a bad thing, what changed and why.
'Rolling Stone Article’s True Focus: Counterinsurgency' By Timothy Hsia
“COIN doctrine [is] an oxymoron.”
"While counterinsurgency has gained a large following there is nonetheless growing dissatisfaction with the strategy within the military. Soldiers at the squad and platoon level have begun to chafe at what is perceived to be overly restrictive rules of engagement. Additionally, counterinsurgency has become a target for critics like George Will, Col. Gian Gentile and Andrew J. Bacevich. These detractors have pointed out contradictions and weaknesses related to a counterinsurgency approach to foreign policy and also how it is implemented in combat. To these critics, counterinsurgency is a foolhardy commitment that weakens America, because it invests too greatly in regions which America will be unlikely to recoup its costs, and also because it weakens the nation’s ability to wage conventional wars."
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/rolling-stone-articles-true-focus-counterinsurgency-coin/
'Rolling Stone Article’s True Focus: Counterinsurgency' By Timothy Hsia
“COIN doctrine [is] an oxymoron.”
"While counterinsurgency has gained a large following there is nonetheless growing dissatisfaction with the strategy within the military. Soldiers at the squad and platoon level have begun to chafe at what is perceived to be overly restrictive rules of engagement. Additionally, counterinsurgency has become a target for critics like George Will, Col. Gian Gentile and Andrew J. Bacevich. These detractors have pointed out contradictions and weaknesses related to a counterinsurgency approach to foreign policy and also how it is implemented in combat. To these critics, counterinsurgency is a foolhardy commitment that weakens America, because it invests too greatly in regions which America will be unlikely to recoup its costs, and also because it weakens the nation’s ability to wage conventional wars."
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/rolling-stone-articles-true-focus-counterinsurgency-coin/
