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The US could learn from Uganda

Bob Morris, on Nov 30, 2007, 7:12 am

The Uganda counter-insurgency effort in Mogadishu has been effective despite their ancient low-tech equipment. Why? They have the locals on their side.

Work those social networks. Add “credible” firepower to that, and it doesn’t matter if your tanks were built in 1960 and you’ve never so much as seen a drone.

Category: News | 2 comments - (Comments are closed)

  • http://www.asymptoticlife.com DJ

    Absolutely true– and nearly impossible to implement in a war based on hate. After all, locals are the people the insurgents (wherever they may be) claim to represent. Insurgents hide among them. Hearts & Minds is the right idea, but as nearly every leader who’s tried it has discovered– from LBJ to Chandrika to some of the Iraq generals– it often doesn’t translate well to the troops on the ground who take their orders from military higherups who see weapons as the only valid tool. In practice, locals are more likely to experience, “Kill them all and let God sort them out.”

  • http://www.lydiacornell.com/blog.html Larry

    How do they know if they have won if they base everything on hate.