Category Archives: Afghanistan

The RAND COIN Scorecard And The Irish War Of Independence

Posted on Apr 11, 2012 by NFB

The RAND think tank, last year, came up with a “scorecard” method of reviewing counter-insurgency campaigns. The scorecard ranks a COIN campaign in terms of “good” and “bad” practices that take place by the actual COIN force and the insurgents … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency (COIN), History, Iraq, Ireland, Irish Defence Forces, Politics, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’m A Racist…Nah

Posted on Jul 23, 2011 by NFB

I’d like to add an addendum to my post about the Oslo terror attacks from yesterday. Firstly, the spiking death toll is utterly shocking. Secondly, while I did not definitively state my opinion that an Islamic extremist group was behind the … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Middle East, War | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‎”I Dag Er Vi Alle Norske.”

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 by NFB

Firstly, my sympathies and my condemnations. Secondly, to address something I’m seeing all over: this attack was almost certainly not motivated by the publication of the Muhammad cartoons that caused such a well-publicised ruckus the other year. While that might be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Middle East, War | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The US, Pakistan And Leverage

Posted on May 22, 2011 by NFB

I see this kind of bizarre sentiment expressed by a lot of people over the last while, that the United States has somehow gained a measure of “leverage” over Pakistan as a result of the circumstances surrounding the death of … Continue reading →

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Bin Laden: Some Brief Thoughts

Posted on May 2, 2011 by NFB

Bin Laden’s death is a long time coming, and it is something that should be celebrated. One cannot begrudge the glee of Americans celebrating at Ground Zero today. But all of this celebration must be tinged with a degree of … Continue reading →

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Libya: What Is Being Ignored

Posted on Mar 20, 2011 by NFB

North Korea. Burma. Palestine. Basque counties and Catalonia. Columbia. Large parts of India. Indonesia. The Philippines. Laos. Kurdistan. Turkey. Uganda. The Congo. Chad. CAR. Sudan. Senegal. Somalia. Ethiopia. Algeria. Mali. Mauritania. Morocco. Nigeria. Iran. Pakistan. Thailand. Cambodia. Russia. Yemen. Ivory Coast. … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Middle East, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

COIN: Not Dead, Only Sleeping

Posted on Mar 2, 2011 by NFB

A lot has been made of the remarks of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates the other day, when he appeared to signal the end of the US’s focus on counter-insurgency and a drawdown on its armed forces. In particular, Gates seemed to draw a … Continue reading →

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Tarok Kalache, COIN And Attitude

Posted on Jan 25, 2011 by NFB

Tarok Kalache is a small Afghan village. Last October, it was flattened by United States military forces who believed it to be a “Taliban tactical base”. Since then, the Unites States has spent its time in the area rebuilding the village. That’s … Continue reading →

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The Junior Officer’s Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey

Posted on Jan 20, 2011 by NFB

One of the core archetypes you will find in military based fiction is that of the British officer: uptight, a strict disciplinarian, moustached, traditional, posh, asshole (especially to rankers). It’s not a completely underserved stereotype and it is far from inaccurate in … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Books, Counter Insurgency (COIN), Iraq, Middle East, Reviews, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Response To “Four Days Later”

Posted on Dec 2, 2010 by NFB

From Abu Muqawama The man who made this speech had lost his son in Afghanistan four days prior. While that is certainly tragic, and his decision to give the oration regardless should be praised, it does not exempt the content of … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency (COIN), Iraq, Middle East, Reviews, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment