Category Archives: Iraq

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

Ireland And Iraq: When COIN Works And When It Cant

Posted on Jun 1, 2011 by NFB

The Irish Civil War is a conflict that is widely ignored in military circles, outside of the Irish Army, which has always seemed strange to me. The Irish Civil War is that rarest of things: an example of a successful … Continue reading →

Posted in Counter Insurgency (COIN), History, Iraq, Ireland, Middle East, Xtranormal Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

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

Major Richard Winters: A Hero, A Benchmark

Posted on Jan 11, 2011 by NFB

It is unnecessary for me to recall the amazing service record of one Major Richard “Dick” Winters, 101st Airborne, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Perhaps it is enough to display his commendation record: Distinguished Service Cross Two Bronze Stars Purple Heart Presidential … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Iraq, TV/Movies, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Counter-Insurgency In Cosmo And Transformers

Posted on Jan 9, 2011 by NFB

This is awesome and everyone should read it. A bunch of military figures envision what a Counter-Insurgency themed issue of Cosmopolitan magazine would look like. And from there, I found this hidden gem from Wings Over Iraq, something I had unforgivably … Continue reading →

Posted in Counter Insurgency (COIN), Humour, Iraq, 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

Bullet Magnet by Mick Flynn

Posted on Dec 1, 2010 by NFB

It’s alright. Not the best military memoir I’ve read, but not the worst either. Flynn is one of the most experienced and decorated soldiers in the British Army and this is his story, from start to finish – Northern Ireland, the … Continue reading →

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

Changing NATO

Posted on Nov 19, 2010 by NFB

NATO is changing and its coming 20 years after it should have happened. Since the fall of communism, NATO has found itself increasingly irrelevant, its role as a self-defence pact seen more as a disadvantage then an advantage. The problems: … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency (COIN), History, Iraq, Middle East, Politics, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Took Long Enough: Addendum

Posted on Nov 12, 2010 by NFB

Ugh. So, under-representation that the British first-past-the-post system would be proud of, walk-outs, repeated votes needed to elect a President…and all in the first three hours. One wonders how this country will ever be able to function at all.

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