US Afghan war review: On track, down a cul-de-sac

Editorial | The Guardian

"Mr Obama's war strategy will fail because the two essential ingredients for a successful counterinsurgency campaign are missing: a legitimate and functioning national government, and the ability to deprive insurgents of external support."

'It's taken a year to move 20km'

A video clip from the Guardian newspaper on US Marines in Helmand, and also US Air Force para-jumpers.

IDF officers finish course on reducing civilian casualties

The Jerusalem Post
Signs of a positive reaction to the Goldstone report. However, it would be more ideal if all combat troops underwent Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) training, instead of only relying on a staff officer.

Marksmen share skills during AFSAM

Video showing the participation of the Canadian Army in the Armed Forces Skill-at-Arms Meeting (AFSAM) organised by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center (NGMTC).

Some of the competition events included obstacle clearing and simulated casualty evacuation.

The effects of mines on the battlefield

It's supposed to be a video on the trials of leadership, but I found it painful to watch the effects of an anti-personnel mine. Really glad that the Mine Ban Treaty is in place, although countries like the United States and Singapore have yet to ratify the Treaty.

NATO Singapore assistance

Germany details end of conscription

All-Volunteer Bundeswehr
The details of the end of conscription in Germany's armed forces are finally out.

"The Afghan campaign has involved not just mission creep but mission multiplication"

IISS

"Strategic Survey 2010 does not seek to lay out a new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan. It does however argue that for Western states to be pinned down militarily and psychologically in Afghanistan will not be in the service of their wider political and security interests. The challenge of Afghanistan must be viewed and addressed in proportion to the other threats to international security and the other requirements for foreign-policy investment. With economic, financial and diplomatic activity moving at such a pace and with such varied outcomes internationally, military operations in general have to be all the more carefully considered. Precision and adaptability will be essential watchwords. For heavy, large, military deployment, the longue durée will be seen as an attitude for other times, other centuries.

The Afghan campaign has involved not just mission creep but mission multiplication; narrowing the political-military engagement to core goals as described will allow for proper attention to be paid to other areas posing international terrorist risks, and indeed to other matters affecting international security."

Will this be the final signal for global leaders to wake up? Maybe too early to tell, but we can always hope...

Conflicts in South-East Asia

This post introduces a series of articles looking into current conflicts in the South-East Asia region. Since this blog started, I have been trying not to just cover major conflicts, but also other conflicts which may be lower in profile. As usual, opswarfare will try to concentrate on the military aspects of the conflicts (and try to reduce politics to a minimum).

Followers of the opswarfare Twitter feed may have seen a tweet on the list of current conflicts in the region, based on data (PDF) from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). The list is reproduced below

• Myanmar vs Karen National Union (KNU)
  
• Myanmar vs Shan (SSA-S)
  
• Philippines vs Communist Party of the Philippines (and it's military wing, the New People's Army)
  
• Philippines vs Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
  
• Thailand vs Patani insurgents
  

As readers can probably guess, the conflicts are mostly, if not all, civil-war type conflicts. Also, most can be classified under Low Intensity Conflicts.

Next post will be Myanmar vs Karen National Union (KNU).

p.s. I have not posted in 2 months. Apologies for the delay.

p.p.s I have just borrowed a book from the library called "Conflict - Journeys Through War and Terror in Southeast Asia" by Nelson Rand. Quite apt for this series of articles that I'm embarking on...