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A UH-60 Black Hawk from Task Force 34, 1st Battalion 244th Assault Helicopter Battalion flies over a mosque during a routine flight on Feb. 27. From US Army on Flickr.Disclaimer
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Category Archives: t.e.lawrence
>Cliche?
>Neil “Cavguy” Smith (whose awesome visage can be found in this picture), a regular writer for Small Wars Journal, has written an excellent article regarding the application–and misapplication–of T.E. Lawrence’s most favorite quote, which is quickly being relegated to the … Continue reading
Posted in COIN, t.e.lawrence
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>Lateral entry
>Kings of War hosted a good point/counterpoint session between two people regarding the merits and drawbacks of “lateral entry” into the military–that is to say, joining the military from the outside world, and starting off at the rank of, say, … Continue reading
Posted in COIN, t.e.lawrence
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>Unlikely sources
>Adam Elkus pointed me towards some great reading on Effects Based Operations and Systemic Operational Design. (I swear that I do go out on Saturday nights) Most notably, he pointed me towards a critique of SOD written by Milan N. … Continue reading
Posted in design, t.e.lawrence
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>Don’t tell me we’ve stooped to the "Domino Theory"
>I try to avoid making Vietnam comparisons in the Afghan debate, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Take today’s post by Londonstani in Andrew Exum’s “Abu Muqawama“, in which Londonstani and British General Sir David Richards invoke the old “Domino theory” argument … Continue reading
Posted in afghanistan, alqaeda, COIN, strategy, t.e.lawrence, taliban
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>Links of the Day
> Our first link is “A Modern War Reader“, which is a counterinsurgency reading list posted by Jules Crittenden, but taken from JH Stuart. I think I am going to have to put together my own counterinsurgency/4GW reading list in … Continue reading
Posted in books, COIN, linkoftheday, t.e.lawrence
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>This part got left out of Seven Pillars of Wisdom…
>Today is ANZAC Day–a day in which we celebrate the achievements of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, specifically those during the Battle of Gallipoli during World War One. It is worth noting some interesting trivia about the battle. … Continue reading
Posted in t.e.lawrence
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>Another leadership vignette for the counter-insurgent
>One of my fellow bloggers in Iraq, Boss Mongo, has commented on a number of personalities well-known in the counterinsurgency field. many of whom have proven to be quite eccentric characters. Last month, Mongo commented on an article from Small … Continue reading
Posted in COIN, pentathlete, t.e.lawrence
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>Next project
>Well, the challenge has been laid forth. A lieutenant colonel who goes by the moniker of “Boss Mongo” has challenged someone to write about “compound warfare”–a simultaneous use of conventional and unconventional forces. It’s a phenomemon seen during the Southeast theater … Continue reading
Posted in COIN, hybridwar, t.e.lawrence
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>Finally, someone gets it!
>About a year and a half ago, I read T.E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and was captivated by it–the book gives amazing insight into the modern-day Iraq War and its participants–which I’ve already noted in an article I submitted … Continue reading
Posted in 4gw, t.e.lawrence
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>Starbuck’s Coffee
> One of my favorite books is From Russia, With Love by Ian Fleming. In that particular adventure of ultra-suave British secret agent James Bond, we find 007 traveling to Istanbul to steal a Russian decoding machine. He teams up … Continue reading
Posted in 007, coffee, iraq, kurdistan, t.e.lawrence
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