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"The US military has a history of trying to impose its power on cities—in Saigon, Panama City, Mogadishu, Kabul, and Baghdad, for instance—typically with mediocre results. This approach would almost certainly fail in any of the world’s more than thirty megacities, those with over ten million residents. The power structures of the world’s major cities are as diverse as the cities themselves."
Gangs of Baghdad - Modern War Institute
Posted from mwi.usma.edu
Operations
Warfare
COIN (Counterinsurgency)
Posted >1 y ago
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LTC,
I enjoyed the read. It was a serious and window into why we should avoid urban combat. The cities are full of mankinds sins.
Why don't we control the the water, food and power grid coming and going to a city if we are going to place boots on the ground? Let them come to us to be given these 3 basics of life?
Everytime we go into a city we become targets without being able to control avenues of approach.
I am not an extremist. Every situation is different and calls for a different action plan. Cities in the ME only understand government with religion. We can not control one without controlling the other. So, let's control another way. If we have to be there.
I hope this post finds you well Sir.
I enjoyed the read. It was a serious and window into why we should avoid urban combat. The cities are full of mankinds sins.
Why don't we control the the water, food and power grid coming and going to a city if we are going to place boots on the ground? Let them come to us to be given these 3 basics of life?
Everytime we go into a city we become targets without being able to control avenues of approach.
I am not an extremist. Every situation is different and calls for a different action plan. Cities in the ME only understand government with religion. We can not control one without controlling the other. So, let's control another way. If we have to be there.
I hope this post finds you well Sir.
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LTC Eric Udouj
I agree - its not in just restoring the services... its about holding those services in combination with other things to conduct control. Interesting take on an AA!
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Very interesting article sir. I hope our leadership can find a solution for these situations. Its difficult at best to have to rely on part of the problem to keep the peace.
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LTC Eric Udouj
Its a hard call to make - do you go the self licking ice cream cone route and end up with yourself as the focus (and the point of attacks as well) or do you risk it with those who can better control the human terrain.... but may not be the best of anything but a short term solution.
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SFC (Join to see)
LTC Eric Udouj I guess it’s best to keep in mind what the long term goal is, and try to find a solution that works for that; and to stay away from situations that don’t have a solution. At the end if the day these are society issues: either there is enough of a moral society to maintain a decent life... of you have a hell hole.
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