The original draft of this entry was lost to a Windows 98 crash, so I've recreated it, but in a shorter form (so I can go back to doing important stuff).
The Pentagon has revealed a new doctrine, which gives major consideration to post-conflict rebuilding, emphasising the need for planning to 'win the peace' in conflict preparations, and the role of training of the forces for this end. Some analysts are worried that this will bring a new schizophrenia into the forces, may be too difficult for some, and could damage troops' capabilities.
My view is that there won't be a major shift in training any time soon. This kind of shift would take years to realise in the training grounds, where it will probably meet organisational resistance from those directly responsible for training. Moreover, with continuing controversy of the ongoing operations in Iraq, this move smells slightly reactionary. It also looks like the generals are planning for the previous conflict, as generals have done throughout the ages. Bearing this in mind, this shift is probably relatively temporary - after a withdrawal from Iraq neither the American government nor its citizens will have much stomach for another war (whatever pundits mumble about Iran or Syria), at least for a few years. That should be ample time for this doctrine to be mostly replaced, or at least watered-down in practice.
It's been a while since my last update - that's because I've been hard at work (and play) with a forthcoming book draft to be rasped, filed, sanded and polished for a colleague at the IIR, and at the same time I've been going to milongas, tango classes, aikido (occasionally), football, and runs with the HHH. The rest of the time I've been too tired to bother updating.
Some of you Americans out there might like to read this. I'd be worried...
What else is happening? Well, not too much, thankfully. Mostly electioneering, or pre-electioneering. The Iraqi elections seem to have gone well; people are making noises about reductions in troop deployments - fair enough, if the violence dies down and the Iraqi forces get to grips with the task. Israeli politics has shifted a bit to the centre with the new Kadima party - good, if it stops the extreme right hampering peaceful developments over there, yet the party's already in trouble. And Palestinian politics have taken an interesting turn, with the departure of some high-ranking Fatah politicians to form a new electoral list with anti-corruption and (seemingly) pragmatic policies. So, all in all, this is pretty positive. The Iraqi elections, with a big turnout and absence of large-scale disruption, bode well, Palestinians now have the option of voting against both Fatah's cronyism and Hamas' extremism, and the Israeli landscape has shifted: hopefully the result will reduce the instability and conflict inherent in the governmental coalitions in recent years.
Right - time for dinner, then I have a tango class to go to.
The original draft of this entry was lost to a Windows 98 crash, so I've recreated it, but in a shorter form (so I can go back to doing important stuff).
