My personal position on counterinsurgency in general, and…
““My personal position on counterinsurgency in general, and on Iraq and Afghanistan in particular, could therefore be summarized as "Never again, but..." That is, we should avoid any future large-scale, unilateral military intervention in the Islamic world, for all the reasons already discussed. But, recognizing that while our conventional war-fighting superiority endures, any sensible enemy will choose to fight us in this manner, we should hold on to the knowledge and corporate memory so painfully acquired, across all the agencies of all the Coalition partners, in Afghanistan and Iraq. And should we find ourselves (by error or necessity) in a similar position once again, then the best practices we have rediscovered in current campaigns represent an effective approach: effective, but not recommended.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Advocates restraint on large unilateral interventions while preserving learned counterinsurgency knowledge for future conflicts.
In simple terms: Avoid big invasions but keep counterinsurgency lessons.
Key Takeaway
Balance restraint with preparedness.
Themes
military policy
counterinsurgency
restraint
Mood
cautious
pragmatic
Type
analytical
policy-oriented
When to use this quote
- future interventions
- policy planning
- military training
- international diplomacy
Key Concepts
strategic memory
enemy adaptation
coalition learning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we retain expertise without future wars?
- What safeguards prevent repeat interventions?
A Different Perspective
Effectiveness may be limited without political will.