Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Is COIN nation-building? I don’t think so

It occurs to me that one of the problems we have in discussing counterinsurgency is what we mean by the word.

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Saddam_Hussain_Iran-Iraqi_war_1980s
Saddam_Hussain_Iran-Iraqi_war_1980s

It occurs to me that one of the problems we have in discussing counterinsurgency is what we mean by the word.

It occurs to me that one of the problems we have in discussing counterinsurgency is what we mean by the word.

To me, it means confronting a situation in a hard-nosed, realistic, thoughtful way. That is, don’t make more enemies that you need to. Separate out the wavering from the hard-core. Find a way to entice the wavering. Protect those who come over. Best way to handle a foe is to convert him, second best way is to neutralize him, third is to imprison him (but carefully), and last is killing him. That said, some will need killing. It ain’t about being nice, and really isn’t about building institutions.

I mention this because an article by Dominic Tierney in the new issue of Prism seems to me to use “COIN” interchangeably with “nation building.” I don’t think that is correct. Nor is COIN “stabilization” — indeed, it often will be destabilizing, especially in areas where the enemy has influence. In Iraq, for example, the quickest road to stability would have been to leave Saddam in power.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

Read More On Military

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.