Tag Archives: al qaida

Learning to Apply the Principles of Counterinsurgency Part One: Introduction to the Soviet-Afghan War

Soviets Enter Afghanistan Note: This is the First Part of a Series which I will be writing on Afghanistan and Counterinsurgency strategy in that country. Part of this will be a review of various historical materials especially from Russian sources … Continue reading

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Filed under counterinsurency in afghanistan, History, iraq,afghanistan, Military

Padre Steve’s Decade in Review: Up Down Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again

Happy New Year! Well, we have killed off the first decade of the new millennium and I hate to say it but I miss the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.  Somehow despite the threat of double secret nuclear annihilation, disco, and … Continue reading

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Filed under History, Loose thoughts and musings

War Without Mercy: Race, Religion, Ideology and Total War

Dower, John W. War without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War.” Pantheon Books, a Division of Random House, New York, NY 1986. The study of war cannot simply be confined to the study of battles, weapons and leaders. … Continue reading

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Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, world war two in the pacific

A Christian Defense of the Rights of Moslems and Others in a Democracy (or Constitutional Republic)

Martin Niemöller was a war hero.  He had served on U-Boats during the First World War and commanded a U-Boat in 1918 sinking a number of ships.  After the war he resigned his commission in the Navy in opposition to … Continue reading

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Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Military, philosophy, Religion

Lessons for the Afghan War: The Effects of Counterinsurgency Warfare on the French Army in Indo-China and Algeria and the United States Military in Vietnam

Note: This is an article that I wrote for a class a year ago which has been updated in order to show the lessons of history that can be useful in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. French Foreign … Continue reading

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Unequal Allies: Lessons from The German’s and Their Allies on the Eastern Front for Today

Patton with French Renault F1 Tank in WWI One of the problems that any coalition of unequal partners as is the case in Afghanistan is the role of the lesser partners, their capabilities and limitations imposed on them by their … Continue reading

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Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, world war two in europe

The most dangerous assignment: 4 More Advisers Die In Afghanistan

Isolated Embedded Training Team Base Once know and relatively unglamorous group of American military men have suffered multiple casualties in a single engagement.  These men belong to are small units that do not have a lot of organic firepower.  They … Continue reading

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Filed under iraq,afghanistan, Tour in Iraq

Pondering the Imponderables of National Security Leaks and Condiments

There are times when try as we might the deepest secrets of national security are made know.  Such was the case last week when the wife of Britain’s MI-16 spy service posted photos of the reclusive spymaster in his Speedo … Continue reading

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Filed under Loose thoughts and musings, national security, Politics, purely humorous

Brothers to the End…the Bond between those Who Serve Together in Unpopular Wars

This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of … Continue reading

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Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Military, PTSD, vietnam

Gordon Klingenschmitt and his Followers- The Klingenfraud and the Klingenban

Gordon Klingenschmitt in all his glory: Ride ‘em Cowboy! Note:  Please know that I am not attacking historic, Evangelical Christianity, nor Christians, Evangelical or otherwise who live their faith proclaiming the Gospel in this post.  Nor am I attacking anyone’s … Continue reading

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Filed under Loose thoughts and musings