Bush borrows 'McMaster' plan
The Tamer of Tal Afar is well known here at New Wars. Story from the Telegraph:
When Col H R McMaster was deployed to Tal Afar in north-west Iraq in 2005, the city was an insurgent hotbed. Today it is the model for President George W Bush's new blueprint to rescue America's mission in Iraq.
The decision to pledge extra troops and resources announced last night will be vindicated if the successful tactics employed in Tal Afar can be replicated in trouble spots around Iraq. It is an approach that owes nothing to American military manuals but to a 1950s British operation to crush the Maoist uprising during the Malayan emergency.
Arriving in Tal Afar with his 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Col McMaster decided to purge the city of enemy fighters. After retaking the city, the cavalry showered it with rewards to hold it.
Two years later soldiers serving in Tal Afar report that the city is at peace. A US army specialist serving there said yesterday he looked forward to returning after brief R&R. "It's not a tough mission," he said. "It's quiet, just the way I like it."
This is very hopeful and here's wishing General Petraeus will take note.
When Col H R McMaster was deployed to Tal Afar in north-west Iraq in 2005, the city was an insurgent hotbed. Today it is the model for President George W Bush's new blueprint to rescue America's mission in Iraq.
The decision to pledge extra troops and resources announced last night will be vindicated if the successful tactics employed in Tal Afar can be replicated in trouble spots around Iraq. It is an approach that owes nothing to American military manuals but to a 1950s British operation to crush the Maoist uprising during the Malayan emergency.
Arriving in Tal Afar with his 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Col McMaster decided to purge the city of enemy fighters. After retaking the city, the cavalry showered it with rewards to hold it.
Two years later soldiers serving in Tal Afar report that the city is at peace. A US army specialist serving there said yesterday he looked forward to returning after brief R&R. "It's not a tough mission," he said. "It's quiet, just the way I like it."
This is very hopeful and here's wishing General Petraeus will take note.
Posts
