"Check Six"

[b:The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan|9581392|The Wrong War Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan|Francis J. West Jr.|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320549380s/9581392.jpg|14468310] belongs on the permanent shelf, especially as we look to the imminent drawdown in Afghanistan. If you are interested in COIN/IW, this book gives you a good rundown on the successes and failures as the ISAF operated in the country. Most of the book deals with the tactical level, following the LTs and Capts out on patrol. He apportions much blame on the commanders and political leaders for incoherent strategies and unclear, muddled directives. None are spared. I could extract many interesting quotes or vignettes. I have to return this one to the library tomorrow so that will have to wait. One amusing but brutally true comment about the village, Ganjigal, where Cpl Dakota Meyer fought the battle for which he was awarded the MOH.

Like the Korengal, Ganjigal had a decades long history as a cauldron of rebellion against any central government or occupying power. The cluster of impoverished hamlets, only a short trek from the border with Pakistan, had provided a way stop for rebels against King Zahir Shah in the late 1940s, against the Soviets in the 1980s, and against Karzai since 2001. It was a mystery, even to the tribes themselves how to design incentives to change their hostile behavior.

Col. Ayoub, the Border Police commander, offered his solution.

“Use B-52s,” he said.

I give the book 4 Stars, would have liked (and expected) more on "The Way Out" which is very brief at the end. The maps and photos are excellent, integrated into the story and adding realism and flavor at the right times.