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Old 02-11-2017, 18:59   #4
scooter
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tennesse
Posts: 766
Two thoughts here. COIN, as practiced by the US in modern times, can work. When we left Iraq in 2011 the insurgency had been pacified and the country was largely safe and "normal". That got fucked up because the Shia backed government started opressing the Sunnis once we left, and they revolted anew.

Second, there is another method of COIN. You always hear people say "you can't kill your way out of this." That's not really true, killing an insurgency to death is the time honored method of ending revolts. Syria and Russia are in the midst of doing so right now, and its working. We did it with the indians in the US. The Romans did it. The British Empire did it. If you're willing to kill, well, everyone until their will to resist is gone, it does work.
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