This monograph describes the interaction and impact of the Afghan culture with the numerous instances of foreign intervention in the country. Prior to the American intervention in 2001, most recall of foreign intervention in Afghanistan focused on...
Forward by Dr. William G. Robertson: The Combat Studies Institute (CSI) is pleased to present its latest publication in the Occasional Paper Series, "We Have Not Learned How to Wage War There" The Soviet Approach in Afghanistan,1979-1989, by Mr....
Forward by Dr. William G. Robertson: The Combat Studies Institute (CSI) is pleased to present its latest publication in the Occasional Paper Series, "We Have Not Learned How to Wage War There" The Soviet Approach in Afghanistan,1979-1989, by Mr....
Afghanistan looms as the key foreign policy challenge for the Obama administration. Under the previous Bush administration, foreign policy was driven primarily by security considerations, and Afghanistan was viewed a frontline state in the Global...
Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri enticed tens of thousands of Muslims from around the world to travel to Afghanistan, swear allegiance to bin Laden and the cause of Al Qaeda, fight and even die for that cause. Bin Laden united faithful...
While it is no secret that Islamic terrorists utilize the internet, the assertion that the internet is a virtual safe haven more important than any geographical safe haven is rarely made. As a result of the expansion of the Internet capabilities...
Every leader in today’s military must and should study military history to some extent. Future mistakes could be limited, but never totally avoided by studying the past mistakes of our military leaders. Could today’s insurgence of American...
The United States (US) has used light armored vehicles (LAV) since its inception. As technology and warfare changes, so have their LAVs. These vehicles have many roles on the battlefield. They are not the perfect combat vehicle but they do provide...
Currently, only the Special Forces in the United States set aside time to study and learn about various cultural groups, geography and history of the world, in order to be effective and well-equipped soldiers both mentally and physically. New...
This paper examines the role played by sanctuaries as they relate to irregular warfare in two conflicts. The first case study looks at the United States' efforts to defeat the advantages gained by the Viet Cong (and later the North Vietnamese Army)...
There's not any doubt that oil is a finite resource and that the United States relies heavily on oil for homeland security, defense security, and economic security. Every facet of the American lifestyle is dependent on oil. The United States...
Disrupting an insurgent's access to sanctuary and safe-haven is a critical aspect of operational planning for counterinsurgent forces. By denying an insurgent's access to safe-havens early in the conflict, the counterinsurgent will gain a marked...
This monograph examines the Soviet experience in Afghanistan (1979-1988) in terms of Soviet Army tactics and organization for combat. Throughout the decade of the 1970's, U.S. perceptions of Soviet ground force tactics stressed a general lack of...
This paper explores some of the vulnerabilities that are present within terrorist organizations that the United States can exploit in order to deter, dismantle, dissuade, and defeat terrorist organizations. In addition, the paper will explore the...
Recent scholarly work on the history and significance of logistics suggests logistics is 90% of the business of war. Logistics enables the deployment of armies to war and their subsequent movement and sustainment during war. As such,...
Given the United States intervention in and intent to withdraw from both Iraq and Afghanistan, the question of whether the conduct of a military withdrawal matters to the renewal of conflict is both timely and relevant. Guided by the National...
The United States Army is beginning to move away from the current fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. This will mean brigade combat teams will now shift their focus from winning the current fight to preparing for the next possible threat. Current United...
Refighting the Last War: Afghanistan and the Vietnam Template. Thomas H. Johnson and M. Chris Mason, America lost in Vietnam because of a failure to establish legitimacy and the inability to protect the people from insurgents. The same failures...
Disrupting an insurgent's access to sanctuary and safe-haven is a critical aspect of operational planning for counterinsurgent forces. By denying an insurgent's access to safe-havens early in the conflict, the counterinsurgent will gain a marked...
This study investigates the feasibility of conducting US - Soviet combined operations from a military perspective. The emphasis is on identifying differences and similarities between US and Soviet operational level of war concepts and coalition...