CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy Anthony Cordesman delivered a talk at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace entitled “Rethinking the Challenge of Counterinsurgency Warfare,” November 7. Among the topics covered were:
The complexity and instability of operations, and the need for time and patience
Knowing when to “play” and when “not to play”
The need to plan for complexity and cost
Focus on the desired outcome of war, not simply the battle situation
Understanding the state of the enemy, as well as our own vulnerabilities
Utilizing the full spectrums of options, both military and political