[pdf], CNA // CNA Center for Naval Analyses // CNA Strategic Studies, 15 November 2010

EXCERPT: "This book provides a glimpse into what relatively small military units?teams, platoons, companies, and highly dispersed battalions?have done to roll back the insurgency in some of the more remote areas of Afghanistan. The focus is on counterinsurgency at the tactical and local levels. The book includes 15 vignettes about different units from the US Marines, Army, and Special Forces, the British Army and Marines, the Dutch Army and Marines, and the Canadian Army. The case studies cover ten provinces in Afghanistan's south and east. They describe the diverse conditions these units faced, how they responded to these conditions, what worked and what did not, and the successes they achieved. The research is based almost entirely on interviews with those involved in these operations. [...] Soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan made many mistakes. But they also employed many sound practices learned through hard experience. This book captures some of those practices and the unique conditions under which they were developed."

Read the full [pdf].

Related articles:
, Foreign Policy // The AfPak Channel, 24 November 2010

Related posts:
Afghan violence soars, insurgency expanding: Pentagon report, 24 November 2010
Winning hearts and minds?: Aid and security in Balkh Province, 16 November 2010
Intense US military campaign to cripple Taliban not working: US officials, 27 October 2010
A closer look at the Afghanistan counter-insurgency strategy: "CT is subset of COIN", 22 October 2010
NATO not winning Afghan hearts and minds: Poll, 19 July 2010