How is Afghanistan Different from Al Anbar

Abstract

Al Anbar was a tough fight. Yet after four hard years of war, US Marines and Soldiers, together with the Sunni tribes, defeated Al Qaeda in Iraq and established security. Now, battalions of Marines may be headed to Afghanistan for a fight that promises to look different from the one in Al Anbar. Factors that loom large in any counterinsurgency campaign-politics, society, economics, and outside support-bear only passing resemblance to Al Anbar. This paper highlights 9 major differences between Al Anbar and Afghanistan (particularly southern Afghanistan) and considers their implications for the Marine Corps.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA498368

Entities

People

  • Carter Malkasian
  • Jerry Meyerle

Organizations

  • Center for Naval Analyses

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan
  • Air Strikes
  • Asia
  • Central Asia
  • Civil War
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Governments
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Law
  • Military Operations
  • National Governments
  • Security
  • Societies
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.