Winning at Counter-Insurgency

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

There are many factors that contribute to turning an insurgency around, the number one is convincing the people that working with you is the way to a better life. After Abu Ghraib you might think it a little odd that some of our best work is being done in the prison system that houses captured insurgents, you haven't met MG Stone. H has decided to use the full attention of the detainees to educate them about civil society and many other things. My favorite bit is this which points out how hope grows all "A Tree in Brooklyn"-ish.

Stone accuses al Qaeda of sometimes using children in their operations, so his detainee population includes more than 150 he considers "youths." These detainees undergo a similar education program to the adults - though the religion classes are "more a civics class" than the adult one - along with sports and art courses.

"I have not approached it from the perspective that it is warehousing," Stone said. "I have approached it as a battlespace ... that needs to be in sync with the greater strategy that Gen. Petraeus has laid out."

One vocational program puts the detainees to use making bricks to help rebuild Iraq's war-torn infrastructure. Each brick made by the detainees is inscribed in Arabic "brick by brick we rebuild our nation."

"We've had 14 or so youth not want to leave when they could have been let go," Stone recalled. "We've had parents visit us and say 'if he's working on his education please don't let him out.' "

I don't care how much the left screams and caterwauls, it is worth it.

---

Mission: To protect and promote the reputation and dignity of America's Warriors.
Join us!

Comments

Winning at Counter-Insurgency

There are many factors that contribute to turning an insurgency around, the number one is convincing the people that working with you is the way to a better life. After Abu Ghraib you might think it a little odd that some of our best work is being done in the prison system that houses captured insurgents, you haven't met MG Stone. H has decided to use the full attention of the detainees to educate them about civil society and many other things. My favorite bit is this which points out how hope grows all "A Tree in Brooklyn"-ish.

Stone accuses al Qaeda of sometimes using children in their operations, so his detainee population includes more than 150 he considers "youths." These detainees undergo a similar education program to the adults - though the religion classes are "more a civics class" than the adult one - along with sports and art courses.

"I have not approached it from the perspective that it is warehousing," Stone said. "I have approached it as a battlespace ... that needs to be in sync with the greater strategy that Gen. Petraeus has laid out."

One vocational program puts the detainees to use making bricks to help rebuild Iraq's war-torn infrastructure. Each brick made by the detainees is inscribed in Arabic "brick by brick we rebuild our nation."

"We've had 14 or so youth not want to leave when they could have been let go," Stone recalled. "We've had parents visit us and say 'if he's working on his education please don't let him out.' "

I don't care how much the left screams and caterwauls, it is worth it.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfadb53ef00e54ee8d49b8833

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Winning at Counter-Insurgency: