Army Captain's Simple Demonstration: How to Win in Iraq

[RHFC_piper]

I'm a strong proponent for the use of diagram when it comes to dissemination of information to those who have a less than keen grasp on the obvious... which is why I appreciated this article.

Army Captain's Simple Demonstration: How to Win in Iraq
Officer Killed in Battle, but His Ideas Live On
By MARTHA RADDATZ
Full story

Dec. 15, 2006 — President Bush has spent the last few weeks engaged in complex briefings with senior military officers, State Department officials and outside experts as he tries to come up with a new plan to achieve victory in Iraq.

But a young captain serving in Iraq's violent Al Anbar Province has offered a simple explanation of what the problem was in Iraq and how to solve it. Among his observations is the importance of having a moustache in Iraq.


In a military known for its sleep-inducing, graphically dizzying PowerPoint presentations, the young captain's presentation, which has been unofficially circulating through the ranks, stands out. Using stick figures and simple language, it articulates the same goal as the president's in Iraq.

The creator of this PowerPoint presentation, "How to Win in Al Anbar," was Capt. Travis Patriquin.

But Patriquin will not see victory in Iraq. He was killed by the same improvised explosive device that killed Maj. Megan McClung of the Marine Corps last Wednesday.

Patriquin had fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. A gifted officer, he spoke numerous languages, including Arabic.


"How to Win in Al Anbar" may not make it to the desk of the president, but maybe it should.

Heres the link to his presentation (it's a PDF, not power point)

 

[tomahawk6]

http://www.redstate.com/stories/foreign_affairs/captain_travis_patriquins_plan_for_al_anbar

In my review of the Sunday Morning Talk Shows, I noted that Newt Gingrich mentioned a Captain Travis Patriquin, US Army, who had come up with a presentation which could have solved our problems in at least the province of Al Anbar. You see, Captain Patriquin suggested working with the Sheiks, who had been the primary authorities in the region for 1,400 years. The Army started to do this, but Paul Bremer and his young assistants arrived and decided that it had to be done differently.

A gentleman named John Forristal has given me the location of Captain Patriquin's presentation, How to Win in Anbar, in pdf form. Gingrich said that it is so good it will break your heart that it wasn't implemented. That is true. It's a very simple presentation, designed perhaps so Bremer's people could understand it, and it is undeniable. It is so well thought-out that perhaps it might leap of John Kerry's head, but he's of no moment.

The problem for Bremer's folks, I assume, was that it didn't fit the theories they'd been taught and which did not apply to Iraq.

And get this, Captain Travis Patriquin was killed by an IED on December 6 in Iraq. Godspeed, Captain Patriquin.

pdf file
http://www.redstate.com/files/how_to_win_in_anbar.pdf

 

[Thorvald]

All I can say is WOW, this fellow has a fairly good grasp on tribal politics.  Dead simple and to the point.

Go read "No True Glory" by Bing West and then view this presentation, things will "click".

 

[a_majoor]

In addition to the co opting of the local power structure, more should be made of the economic recovery in Iraq; and by extension, more attention should be focused on the economic redevelopment in the stable areas of Afghanistan as well:

http://fruitedplains.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-if-we-are-winning.html

What if we are winning?

Every bit of strategy that is being discussed is based on the idea that we are losing. The Democratic opposition is based on the idea that we are losing. The media mantra is that we are losing. What if we are not?

In my December 10th entry, I observed that the Iraqi economy is doing quite well. I wrote, “This economic news also shows is that Iraqi nation may be slowly evolving into three federal sections since most of the economic progress is happening outside the Baghdad.” Newsweek is now reporting what others such as Strategypage.com have been showing for the past couple of years, the Iraqi’s economy is booming. And just as I wrote, much of this is occurring is outside Baghdad. Newsweek reports, “With security improving in one key spot—the southern oilfields—that figure could go up.” But this is not all. Newsweek added, “Even so, there's a vibrancy at the grass roots that is invisible in most international coverage of Iraq. Partly it's the trickle-down effect. However it's spent, whether on security or something else, money circulates. Nor are ordinary Iraqis themselves short on cash. That's boosted economic activity, particularly in retail. Imported goods have grown increasingly affordable, thanks to the elimination of tariffs and trade barriers. Salaries have gone up more than 100 percent since the fall of Saddam, and income-tax cuts (from 45 percent to just 15 percent) have put more cash in Iraqi pockets.” What Newsweek is describing supply side economy and guess what, it works in the United States, and it works in Iraq! (Interpolation: Oh yes, and in Canada too!)

One meaning of all of this is that we may not be losing after all. If most of the country is prospering and Iraqis are forming new businesses, then can we assume that overall, we are indeed winning? Another meaning is that Iraqis are showing that they can operate in a liberated economy and if they can work in a free market economy during a war time setting; imagine what they could do if the insurgency is defeated? One important aspect of a liberal democracy succeeding is a liberal economy that frees entrepreneurs from the shackles of government. And Iraqis, with lower tax rates than even seen in the United States, have the money to form new businesses and spend money on new goods.

Much of the reporting has been poor indeed and now it has taken the mainstream media a long time to notice the economic revival taking place among the Iraqis. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate what is really happening in Iraq, before we engage in wrong policy.