Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Escalation and Reappraisal in Afghanistan Brian M Downing The recent campaign in Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan, is the first phase of a far-reaching counterinsurgency program. Western and Afghan troops will clear Taliban fighters from villages and later whole districts, then begin a seemingly simple but actually arduous process of Read More …
A successful counter-insurgency program requires a coherent government to implement it. Though resting on a few elementary premises, counter-insurgency entails coordination of an unwieldy number of bureaus that are not likely to have worked well together before. Counter-insurgency also requires reliable army and militias as local security must be established Read More …
Brian M Downing Last week US forces launched an offensive in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. The four thousand troops involved, mostly marines, constitute one of the largest operations of the war and signal the beginning of a new chapter in the conflict. The goals are ambitious. The campaign 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 We may never know the true vote count in the recent elections and it’s almost irrelevant now. Debate has ended, sides have been drawn, and a test of power, not votes, is underway. Over the last two days, in the face of serious yet restrained repression, street Read More …
Brian M Downing The United States is entering a new phase in the war in Afghanistan. This approach to fighting the Taliban is based on counter-insurgency thinking: building indigenous police and military forces, providing services to villagers, and winning support from fence-sitters and insurgent sympathizers. It is hoped that in Read More …
Brian M Downing The United States will soon double the number of its troops in Afghanistan from about 30,000 to 60,000, and several other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries will also up their troop levels. The move comes with little surprise and considerable bipartisan support in the US, but Read More …
Brian M Downing A successful counter-insurgency program requires a coherent government to implement it. Though resting on a few elementary premises, counter-insurgency entails coordination of an unwieldy number of bureaus that are not likely to have worked well together before. Counter-insurgency also requires reliable army and militias as local security Read More …
by Brian M Downing Events of the thirties are much discussed today as we look for insight on present-day problems. Both parties today grab “facts” out of the past like breathless contestants on a ruthless game show, eager to go on for the grand prize. As someone from that period Read More …
Brian M Downing A review of Marc Sageman, Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty-First Century. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008. In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, we were inundated by hysterical books which purported to give thoughtful analysis of al Qaeda but which instead only added to Read More …