Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Counter-insurgency, then and now A Question of Command by Mark Moyar Reviewed by Brian M Downing In Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, an operation on the fictional island of Anopopei comes to a successful conclusion, but owing to the campaign’s intricacies, no one is quite sure why. Headquarters writes a report Read More …
Brian M Downing Statements coming from the London summit on Afghanistan recognize the need for a negotiated settlement to the wars that have raged there for most of the last thirty-two years. The statements are surprisingly candid; diplomatic language is usually less direct than what the NATO chieftains and Kabul Read More …
Brian M Downing Elections took place in Afghanistan last week amid a spate of Taliban violence and a dearth of public optimism. Few observers in or out of the country expect meaningful change to come, whether Mr Karzai or Mr Abdullah or another wins. The results might not be known Read More …
Brian M Downing The new approach to fighting the Taliban calls for building up local Afghan forces – militias and tribal levies. While this is a welcome departure from the neglect and reliance on massive firepower of past years, the approach will face many obstacles. Local forces, from the Soviet Read More …
Brian M Downing Two remarkable events took place in recent days involving the war against the Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, and al Qaeda. Neither event augurs well for US/NATO efforts in Afghanistan, though important opportunities may arise. In any case, recent events signal a new phase in the war in Read More …
Brian M Downing Something’s developing in Central Asia. There, amid expansive steppes and imposing mountains, numerous militant Islamist groups are planning, training, and coalescing. They are thriving amid the three great powers they oppose and plan to fight – the US, Russia, and China. The region has been Islamic for centuries, but Read More …