Part I here. (The comment thread on the previous post is very interesting. Kudos to the commenters.)
It’s been quite an interesting read thus far. I might actually go so far to say that some of the greatest inventions in warfare have been canned foods and preservatives, the internal combustion engine, cold-weather clothing and heaters, and night-vision equipment. These allow armies to campaign anywhere they choose, for as long as they desire. They also permit armies to operate day and night, and all year long–a relatively recent development in warfare.
– Starbuck on Martin van Creveld’s “Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton”.
Talking to the local media on January 2, Balochisan’s Chief Minister Muhammad Aslam Raisani said that the provincial government was ready to provide security to NATO supplies if they were transported through the Gwadar port. Raisani said that the NATO forces would have to invest $1.5 billion for the construction of roads to facilitate the transportation of oil to Afghanistan through the Gwadar port. He added that the Afghan Transit Trade through Gwadar could promote trade and business in Balochistan besides opening new opportunities for employment. According to him, the Afghan Transit Trade through Gwadar Port was the need of hour for the development of the port.
Two more excerpts as “food for thought”:
“COIN”: It is quite possible that never before in the annals of military operations has a concept been so thoroughly abused as this one. After all, the COIN described in FM 3-24 is really “Colonial Intervention” rather than Counter Insurgency.
The entire comment is worth reading in full.
Israel is particularly eager for these UAVs to succeed at maritime recon, for that would open up a huge market for Israeli made UAVs and sensors. Israel has been the leader in UAV technology for over two decades, and has been supplying with UAVs to the Indian navy for eight years now. India has taken the lead in regularly using UAVs for maritime reconnaissance.
Whener Jews and Muslims are involved into something together, as a rule nothing good’s gonna happen. They hate each other so much that it’s impossible to reach any kind of compromise. No matter how hard Americans may try to solve this situation, it is impossible, and even if Muslims promise something, we all know that no one can trust them.
Afghanistan’s complexity is almost entirely tied to logistics. If it was flat and by the sea, a central Asian Belgium (“Europe’s Scenic Invasion Speedway”), it would be easily controlled once its occupier reminded themselves of the timeless principles of pacification AKA population control AKA “counterinsurgency”. If Iran was ruled by a regime amenable to U.S. foreign policy, the roads from the more accessible west would be open and the problems would be somewhat ameliorated. However, that didn’t turn out so we’re reliant on political entities like Russia and the *stans whose relationship with the U.S. is “complicated” on a good day.
I book I have not read but have heard widely praised is Alexander the Great the Logistics of the Macedonian Army. He made his way through Afghanistan too.
Perhaps a regular here would care to review this book for the benefit of us all.
Thanks for the comments.
I’ve fixed the Starbuck’s link so it now links to his review of Supplying War. Sorry about that :)
JF: What do you suppose changing commonly used words (pacification to population control to counter-insurgency in your comment) does to how we look at a problem set and its solutions? I’m always curious about the changing terminology game in academia and publishing. Sometimes it is warranted, sometimes not. How’s that for wishy-washy?
Peter Porcupine – I’ve got about a million possible posts lined up in the queue but your idea sounds interesting. Hmmmm…..
Time to order some new books?
– Madhu