Iraq, Afghanistan, and Self-Inflicted Wounds

From the slides accompanying a briefing titled Iraq, Afghanistan, and Self-Inflicted Wounds by Anthony H. Cordesman (30-page pdf):


Only Local Allies Can Win Hearts and Minds, Achieve Information Dominance

• The US can do much to justify its own position and actions, but cannot win at a broader level.

• The host country and regional actors will dominate the information battle and war of perceptions:

• The US and UK will never be Muslim states or be able to deal with underlying religious issues.

• The nations in the Long War have their own cultural, social, and political values and they are not American.

• Western forces and spokesman will always be seen as outsiders, if not imperialists and occupiers.

• The credibility of what local governments and security forces say, not Americans, is critical to popular support.

• Local conciliation and compromise are the key to sectarian, ethnic, and other factional issues.

Enemies become superfluous after enough self-inflicted wounds


Self-Inflicted Wounds in Seeking “Information Dominance”

• Impossible demands and expectations.

• Unkept promises. Exaggerated reports of progress.

• Lack of local government follow-up.

• Tactical operations that alienate the population; Bull in the China Shop

• Disregard/lack of language and culture experience.

• “Christian”and “secular”force.

• Detainments.

• Collateral damage.

• Civilian casualties.

• Worst case incidents dominate; strategic corporal.

• Conspiracy theories. Desire to export the blame.

• Primacy of local and regional media.

• PAO=Pangloss

• Ties to Israel.

• Life is not fair, but it is real.